


Learning Fear

by Repeatinglitanies



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Body mutilation, Callous Practicality, Don’t copy to another site, F/M, Murder, Violence, eldritch horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-01-16 00:10:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18509944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repeatinglitanies/pseuds/Repeatinglitanies
Summary: The Boy grew up training as an assassin for The Commission. A mishap on Halloween leads him to crossing paths with Vanya Hargreeves, who just wanted to go trick or treating with her siblings





	1. The Greenhouse

Quentin’s first solo mission for the Corrections Department ought to have been routine. Checklists have been checked. Weapons readied. And intel triple checked (at the very least) for accuracy.

But something or rather someone (and by someone, he means not him) fucked up. 

It was supposed to be easy. 

Get into the target’s phallic compensation of a tower. Check. The target’s son went to an elite prep school. Having decided to invite everyone from school for a Halloween Party (all the more to showcase the family wealth and connections), it made it easy for Quentin to blend in. The Commission got him a replica of the Umbrella Academy uniform and domino mask. Just goes to show how low tastes would go with that time’s latest craze in super powered hero-wannabes.

Find the target and kill him discreetly. Check. The target was alone in his office and too preoccupied with his papers. Quentin was amazed the man could even concentrate given the racket his son’s party was making. One swift slice from ear to ear, a spatial jump to another position and a stab to the heart. That was all it took to bring the mark down without a fight.

It all went wrong when it came to the exit strategy. 

He was supposed to go down the fire escape and get to the nearest payphone to signal an extraction. All with no one the wiser.

Quentin never got the chance because as soon as he left the office, a bunch of armed, masked men blocked the exits and told everyone to get on the ground.

And because he was the only kid in a domino mask and what looked to be an Umbrella Academy uniform, the masked goons decided to open fire on him. He managed to teleport out of the way of most of the bullets. But one grazed his arm.

Pissed. He jumped near one shooter and used him as a body shield.

Fucking Umbrella Academy. How lethal were those kids for these thugs to use deadly force on the get go?

If anything, the drizzle of bullets became a storm strong enough to force Quentin of the balcony. Before he managed one more jump to save himself, Quentin made a mental note to find the asshole who planned this mission and kill him. Repeatedly. 

———————-

Halloween was ruined for Vanya this year. She and her siblings were so excited to finally be allowed trick or treating only for Hargreeves to cancel it because of another hostage situation.

With her siblings called to action and Pogo going with Dad to assist, that left only Vanya and Mom at home. And mom had to recharge.

“Do you need help changing out of your costume, Dear?”

Thinking of all the hard work she and Mom went through to put it together, Vanya wanted to wear it a few moments longer. Wishing Mom a good night, Vanya headed to the greenhouse. She wasn’t ready to go to bed and be alone with her thoughts and concrete walls.

So she decided to go up to the greenhouse. The plants (contrary to what Diego or Dad said) seemed to grow faster and healthier after she talked to them and played her violin.

Vanya liked to pretend the plants were watching over her and were eager to hear from her again. So she looked forward to getting back to them. Besides, it’s a full moon tonight so the view of from the glass ceiling should be good.

Vanya mentally patted herself on the back for keeping a sleeping bag there. Sitting would be much more comfortable with the bag rather than simply bearing with the cold, hard ground.

But her pleasant thoughts suddenly dissipated upon seeing a figure who (for all intents and purposes) seemed to be murdering her sleeping bag.

The boy (or at least someone scrawny enough to fit in an Umbrella Academy uniform) was trying to cut the sleeping bag with what appeared to be a Bowie knife. The reasonable part of Vanya was telling her to get help. 

But another part, the one that wanted adventure and risk-taking, convinced her it was actually amusing to watch someone cut through her bag with a big, stabbing implement.

And honestly, all she intended to do was watch until she noticed he was bleeding.

“You’re hurt!”

That’s when Quentin turned around to see a Russian Princess with matching kokoshnik and 16th century style clothing gaping at his wound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was an umbrellakink prompt about Five being raised by the Commission and meeting Vanya. I wrote my own interpretation that’s less darker than what the prompt was asking. So I hope this is ok


	2. Going out and Getting out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction of sorts only comes at the end. And Vanya prepares for her great big adventure

Quentin was trained to expect attacks at anytime and from anywhere. His instructors at The Commission even prided themselves in producing agents capable of adapting to anything.

Well, they never made provisions for a Russian Princess coming to his aid instead of screaming bloody murder to bring the mansion down. Had he not been bleeding and just come close to death, he’d find the whole situation amusing.

Instinctively, he tightened his hold on the knife. It shouldn’t be a problem. She was a tiny thing. He could easily fling her to the ground and cut her throat open. Quentin might have to tear of the material covering almost every part of her. The clothing (as well as the stones sewn into it) might make it hard to kill her in one stroke.

But when she took out an intricately embroidered handkerchief and used it to staunch the bleeding, he decided to table any plans for murder 

“Come with me. Our infirmary is downstairs. And I think I can patch you up.”

Quentin gazed at her and wondered if this girl just didn’t see the big knife he was holding.

“You’re not the first Umbrella fan to sneak in, bring some weapon in a bid to impress Dad and get hurt by the house’s security measures. I’m surprised you didn’t trigger the noisier systems. But come on, it’s your lucky day. Dad’s not here to kick you out. And you can get a quick tour of the academy.”

——————

Vanya didn’t know what possessed her to invite this weird boy into the infirmary. Dad (and by extension Mom and Pogo) always reiterated how dangerous trusting strangers could be.

_You might not officially be part of the Umbrella Academy, Number Seven. But your association with it makes you a target. The weakest link in the chain._

But she felt so very alone. 

Vanya knew that was not a good excuse. But for once, she wanted to be needed by someone. Anyone would do.

The boy put away his knife and Vanya breathed a sigh of relief. She led him down the staircase and into the hallway and finally into the room Mom used to care for her sick or injured siblings.

In an attempt to make herself useful, she got Mom to teach her first aid. And according to Grace, her stitches were getting better and better. Though Vanya wished her brothers didn’t give her so much opportunity to practice.

For now, it was a blessing in disguise. The boy made no noise as she disinfected the wound. In fact, it was a little disconcerting how little sound he made. As if he was used to sneaking around.

That was when Vanya realized they ran out of bandages. She still had some left in her room.

“Wait here. I’m gonna get bandages.”

Vanya barely took a step when the boy grabbed her.

“How do I know you’re not going to call the cops?”

He was too close. And usually, the weight of the stare he gave her would have had her stammering. She couldn’t see his eyes properly because of the domino he was wearing. But she stood her ground.

“I won’t. But you can follow me up to my room if your so worried.”

—————————

It definitely had something to do with the way Quentin was brought up. All his life was spent training and learning the best way to kill people without the unintended consequence of deviating from the correct timeline.

His formative years at The Commission’s training center involved instructors and fellow trainees old enough to be his parents. The instructors treated him like an adult and expected him to behave like one. And any trainees who brought up his youth in a derogatory manner were corrected in one form or another (usually by him).

So it was as much curiosity and paranoia as it was puberty that had him enter the Russian’s room.

He honestly didn’t know what he was expecting. But he was not impressed. Her room was narrow as well as small. And frankly, he saw training barracks with more personality than her private chambers.

But he didn’t bother to comment. Just sat on her bed and waited for her to finish bandaging the wound.

Once he was all patched up. He would leave, find a payphone and go on to the next job. 

Funny how that thought didn’t give him the sense of accomplishment he had hoped for. He was eight when he finished training and moved on to supervised missions. He was proud of breaking records and of his efficient corrections that it eventually led him to this solo mission at thirteen.

But now, he asked himself why he was still doing it. It may take years but there would come a point where he won’t be able to do the missions any more. Sure, The Commission promised a generous retirement plan. But what would be left of him once retirement came? He was never in it for the money or for assurances of future comfort.

All his life, he wanted everyone to acknowledge he was the best. And at thirteen, he knew everyone already knew it.

It was time to set a new life goal. Because Quentin was beginning to think The Commission had nothing to offer him anymore.

But before he left this house, he was curious about one thing

“Teen Mom?”

“Excuse me?”

Quentin motioned at the infant onesie on her desk.

“No, I’m not having a baby. It’s my brother’s- It’s not as weird as it sounds.”

Quentin managed a quirk of a smile at her attempts at an explanation. The Russian Princess is actually quite cute. 

“Maybe you didn’t know. But Dad actually adopted seven kids. Not six. The onesie belonged to Number Five. We never got the chance to grow up with him because he was kidnapped from his cradle. Until now, no one can tell us what really happened to him. Dad wanted all his baby clothes thrown away. But I managed to keep this one. I didn’t want him to be forgotten. And sometimes, I would imagine what it would be like for him to grow up here. Maybe we’d be friends and keep each other company when everyone else is training- Sorry! I’m rambling-“

Vanya’s apology was cut midway by the sound of a growling stomach 

——————

Dad programmed Mom to make only enough for the mansion’s inhabitants. So very rarely (if ever) will there be leftovers. 

And the only food Vanya could make in short notice is a sandwich. With the fridge all out of cold cuts, she resorted to the only fillings left.

“Peanut Butter and Marshmallow? The amount of sugar in that sandwich is enough to kill me.”

Vanya couldn’t believe her ears. Who raised this boy to make him believe that?

“That’s ridiculous! Sugar isn’t poison. It’s delicious. Here, let me show you.”

She took a chunky piece and popped it in her mouth as the Boy’s eyes widened in horror.

“See? I’m still alive.”

—————  
Quentin found that he liked Peanut Butter and Marshmallows. He finished one and asked the girl to make more.

She complied with a big smile on her face. It was as if he was doing her a favor instead of the other way around.

So the Handler and everyone else in the Commission lied to him about sugar. He wondered what other facts they “misquoted.” 

On second thought, maybe this revelation isn’t so bad. He was thinking of quitting. And this was merely the nail that sealed the coffin. Not that anything in that organization was holding him back in the first place (physically, mentally or emotionally).

But that was something to be done at a future time. His future time. For now, he might as well pay up. He owed this girl something for helping and feeding him. In the Commission, the basis of all his interactions with colleagues, superiors and assistants were strictly quid pro quo.

So it didn’t entirely sit well with him to leave without paying her back. With the amount of wealth this house displayed, he doubted she would want money though. A shame, really. Money was the easiest thing he could use in lieu of actual favors.

“What do you want? In exchange for patching me up and the sandwiches, what do you want? Nothing you ask would be to big. Say you want to murder and maim someone-“

“I want to go trick or treating.”

That was fast. Quentin thought it would take her time to decide. But okay. He wasn’t in a hurry to go back and give his resignation. 

“Okay. Let’s go.”

“Wait! I don’t even know your name! If we’re going out together- Not in a girlfriend/boyfriend sort of way. But as friends, I should at least call you by your name.”

“Quentin,” He said. And all the while not knowing what the feeling in his chest meant when she called them friends. He never had a friend before. Vanya taking care of his wounds was probably the most affection he had from anyone.

“I’m Vanya.”

“Ok. let’s go!”

“Wait! I’ve only known you for about less than an hour but I think we better take a first aid kit with us and an actual bag for the candies.”

Quentin raised an eyebrow because (excuse her) he had no plans of getting injured any further. Besides he was only going to take her trick or treating on Halloween. There shouldn’t be any further trouble. 

Quentin would later thank whatever kept his mouth shut at that moment. Because his assessment of that particular Halloween night was disastrously inaccurate.

Vanya, for her part, wasted no time. She packed quickly knowing that if Dad and the others got back she would never get to have some normal fun on Halloween night.

Mom was recharging so there was no one to stop her from going out. And at least she had Quentin to keep her company. 

She avoided trying to think too deeply of how this could all go wrong (starting with how she didn’t even know Quentin and what she did know was that he may be guilty of breaking and entering).

But this was Vanya’s first adventure outside without any of her family. And her whole body seemed to thrum with excitement. Besides, she chose to believe Quentin truly is a new friend.

Quentin has already opened the front door by the time she was ready. He thought her backpack ruined the Russian Princess aura of her costume. But he quickly told himself that he didn’t care.

There was trepidation and wonder as Vanya walked past and closed the gates. By then, she pushed down all the guilt (of disobeying dad) and doubt (that this will go well). 

And for the first time in what seemed like forever, she gave someone (Quentin) a big toothy smile. If anyone observed this, they would have thought that Quentin didn’t know what hit him.

It would take Vanya some time to realize that she forgot to bring her medication.


	3. Trick or Treat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanya and Quentin learn what trick or treating is all about

Since neither Vanya nor Quentin have gone trick or treating before, they didn’t really know much of what they’re doing. But that didn’t stop them from going door to door and getting candy.

Quentin in particular, was enjoying it.

“Slow down, Quentin. There’s a lot of candy to go around.”

“I just found out I’ve been denied sugar for all my life. I’m making up for lost time.”

The small plastic sack she brought for the treats was nowhere near full. But that was more due to Quentin eating most of it as soon as he got a hold of them. She was beginning to think Quentin was enjoying this more than she did.

They were about to move onto the next door when a bigger kid bumped into her. 

“Sorry!”

It was Vanya who said that. She didn’t even know why. It was as if she was on autopilot. Vanya didn’t even realize she was on the ground until Quentin offered his hand and hoisted her up. 

The sack and its contents were scattered all over the ground.

When she first saw Quentin, Vanya got the impression that he was a go-getter. And would do anything (absolutely anything) to get what he wanted. Usually by aggressive means.

As she got to know him better in the past hour, she concluded that her first impression was more or less spot on.

This time was no different. Before she could even utter another word, Quentin strode towards Big Kid and ordered him to pick up the treats and apologize to Vanya. At knifepoint.

Something in Quentin's tone must have convinced Big Kid (who was at least a head taller) because he wasted no time gathering the fallen treats in the sack. After handing it to Vanya and giving a curt “Sorry,” he ran as fast as his long legs could carry him.

“You didn’t have to threaten him with a knife.”

“You think he’d actually apologize and make amends if I didn’t? Besides you weren’t complaining then.”

Well Vanya was giving her voice of dissent now. Besides, when in a crisis, you present a united front. That’s what Dad always said. To her siblings, not her. She didn’t always agree with it. But she always had a hard time making her own voice heard. Even now, in the company of a new friend.

“Look, if you let people walk all over you, they will. Everyone is out to get what they want. And they won’t hesitate to step over other people to get it. So if you don’t do anything to change how they treat you, you can only expect more of the same.”

“You may have a point. But I don’t think you need to hurt people to get what you want. And yes, lies and threats count as hurting people.”

Quentin felt it was time to impart some well earned life lessons.

“If that’s how you see it, then everything we do inevitably hurt someone. You said you wanted to be a violinist. When they do auditions, wouldn’t they take the best of the lot? So if you got picked, wouldn’t that mean you’re hurting all those other hopefuls who didn’t get the slot?”

Vanya could see his point. She really did. But she also wondered how Quentin got his worldview of hurt or be hurt.

“I don’t even think I have the skills to get into an orchestra.”

Quentin blinked. “You said you practice everyday. For hours. Assuming you have no intentions of quitting, how can you not get better with practice?”

Quentin didn’t understand. She lived in a reality that told her no matter what she did, it would never be good enough. Many people work hard everyday but never get any richer for it. Same with aspiring violinists. They can put in so much time and energy into their music, but never be good enough or ready enough to play on stage to a crowd. How could she be any different when she was so ordinary?

Vanya could feel tears leaking out of her eyes.

Quentin stopped as soon as he saw them. The only time he ever saw tears were when a target was begging for his life. His go-to response was to kill the target to make it stop.

But he didn’t want to kill Vanya. So he was at a loss. What to do? He reached for his pocket and found her handkerchief. It was still stained with his blood but it was all he had.

He offered it to her. And she used the relatively clean portions to wipe away her tears.

It was then when Vanya noticed they passed by a flower shop selling blue roses.

Following her gaze, Quentin pointed out how misleading the sale was. Blue roses are basically white roses dyed blue. Actual blue roses don’t occur in nature so there will never be any blue roses in the future. 

“People said you needed to have a sperm and an egg cell to make a baby. That it takes 9 months for babies to develop and be born. But here my siblings and I are. Besides, who knows? Maybe one day, some scientists will get us natural blue roses.”

“Interesting,” was all Quentin said as he walked on.

Following after him, she asked, “What?”

“You find it easy to believe a bunch of people you don’t know can do the impossible. But when it comes to you achieving something that’s actually within the realm of possibility, you have doubts. So I’ll tell you what. If you manage to get a solo as first chair in any orchestra, I’ll get you blue roses.”

“You’re making fun of me.”

“Nope. As you said, anything is possible. Maybe we won’t get blue roses in the next decade. But technology and human ingenuity are funny things. And if blue roses exist anywhere in time, I know how to get to it.”

“You are so weird.”

“It’s Halloween. Let’s just take everything the other says as truth. No matter how outlandish.”

Vanya took a long hard look at Quentin, trying to discern if he was pulling her leg. She reached for her bag to get her medication. Only to realize that she forgot to take it with her.

Seeing her troubled expression, Quentin asked and found out the cause.

“What are you taking it for?”

“Anxiety, I think.”

“You think? How can you not know what the pills are for? What does your doctor say?”

“Dad just told me to take the pills on time. When I was really young, Pogo told me I had to be quarantined or something. So I have to take the pills on time or I might get sick again.”

“A lot of what you said do not make sense. Since when has anxiety been contagious enough to warrant a quarantine? And is your dad a practicing medical doctor? A psychiatrist? And finally, what actually happens when you don’t take a pill? I can take you back if you really want to get it. But you don’t look sick or overly worried. Then again, I’m no doctor.”

Vanya mentally objected to going back. This was the most fun she had ever. And she didn’t want to risk being greeted by a returned Dad. He won’t let her continue with Halloween. Especially not with Quentin.

And despite how stupid she felt for having to hear Quentin point out holes in her logic, she wanted to spend more time with him. It was the first time someone believed she could be something extraordinary. And she found that she liked that. A lot.

“No. Let’s just get more treats. I’ve been taking those pills for so long. I’m sure one missed dose won’t hurt.”

With that, they moved on to the nearest door. The lady offering treats was all smiles at the kids in front of them. But when they came face to face with her, the air turned frosty.

Not literally.

But the lady’s stare went hard particularly when she stared at Vanya.

“I know you. Aren’t you one of the freaks from the Umbrella Academy?”

Vanya was surprised. Not by her tone or her insult. But merely that someone recognized her. She was never part of photo shoots. Although she did remember being filmed that one time Dad allowed the press to take a look inside the house.

Quentin was ready to tear the lady’s head off. From what she witnessed so far, Vanya thought he was going to do it literally. Without another thought, she proceeded to stay his hand as soon as it reached for the knife.

The lady didn’t notice the weapon. But she did slam the door on their faces.

“What did I tell you about not doing anything?”

“That it will only encourage the same behavior. But Quentin, you can snarl and threaten all you want. But it won’t change how she thinks. Her mind was made up even before we got here. If you show her your knife, all she’d do is call the cops or tell any reporter who would listen that a kid from the Umbrella Academy pulled a knife on her. That would just make it worse for me.”

Quentin hates to admit it. But in this case, he almost made the wrong move. Vanya was obviously upset. He was upset. And it seems even the sky felt sympathy for her. They really should take shelter as the drizzle would soon become rain.

But he doesn’t want things to end this way. Technically, he fulfilled returning the favor. He took her trick or treating. All he needed to do was get her back home in one piece and that was that.

Then again, Quentin didn’t want Vanya’s last experience of Halloween and trick or treating to be some racist bitch slamming a door on her.

“Vanya, how much candy do we have left?”

“Here, you can have them all.”

“Thanks. Stay here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

The alarms in Vanya’s head immediately went up. Quentin seemed to read her mind though and assured her he wasn’t going back to knife Racist Bitch, as he called her.

So she waited and hoped he’d be back soon. There were more raindrops coming down and she suspected it would come down pouring soon.

Vanya prepared herself for a long wait. And hoped he hadn’t ditched her. But just as he promised, Quentin was back. The sack was gone. However, he carried something else.

“I traded the candy for something else. As I recall, we’re supposed to be trick or treating. And you said that it wasn’t likely you’d get another chance. So I got to thinking. We’ve only been getting half the experience.”

What was Quentin talking about?

“On this night, there’s a deal made with every trick or treater. The house owes us treats. But if we don’t get treats, we’re entitled to a trick.”

And Vanya got it. She got what he was trying to say this time.

Quentin took out a rotten egg and handed it to her. Racist lady’s house was literally a stone’s throw away. Though it wasn’t stones they’d be throwing this night.

Quentin had a wicked smile on his face. And it gave Vanya a thrill to see it. Under normal circumstances, she’s feel guilty even contemplating doing what she was about to do.

But she did want an adventure. She decided to make the most of it. With her mind made up, Vanya didn’t even notice that the drizzling had stopped.

Quentin learned a lot of things in the time he’d spent with Vanya so far. Lessons the Commission never taught him. Things he’d never admit to anyone.

Well, except for one.

Revenge is sweeter than any candy.


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things come to light

Vanya knows that she will never forget this night. In fact, she feels that she never truly lived until now. Which just made her sad because she didn’t want to go home yet.

It was lonely in the Academy. And she wished time would stop or at least slow down.

“Quentin, is it ok if we slow down? Or are your parents waiting for you?”

“I don’t have parents. Just employers. And me getting back on time isn’t a big issue because I’m quitting.”

Vanya had a lot of questions. A lot of what Quentin told her didn’t make sense. On the other hand, they did agree to just go with whatever the other said.

“So what do you plan to do after you quit?”

“Work on my time traveling.”

Now Vanya was even more confused. Quentin told her he worked for The Commission. And it was basically in charge of making sure the timeline stayed the same. He also said that Commission agents can travel through time, usually with a device that looked like a briefcase.

If he was quitting, how can he time travel? Vanya didn’t think his employers would let him keep a briefcase.

Quentin seemed to have a knack for knowing what she was thinking. 

“I can time travel without the briefcase. Theoretically, I can do it. Right now, I can teleport. And I’ve mastered that. According to my calculations, my abilities can also be used to travel anywhere in time. I’m almost done with my equations. After I quit, I can make my first time travel attempt.”

Quentin was surprised how easy it was for him to tell her his plans. But Vanya was a good listener. And it was nice to talk to someone about what he was going to do without having to worry that that someone was going to use it to metaphorically (or in some cases literally) stab him in the back.

“You can teleport? Is that how you got in the mansion? That would explain why there was no alarm when you got in.”

Vanya was beginning to put some pieces together. Quentin looked to be the same age as her. So it was possible, he was like her. Well, not exactly like her. Quentin said he could teleport. So that would make him more like her brothers and sister. Someone who would fit right in the Umbrella Academy. Not like her.

But on the bright side, maybe Quentin could come to live with them?

Her thoughts were interrupted when an expensive looking car stopped near the street Vanya and Quentin were passing through. And Vanya noticed that the neighborhood was dark. Not the type of place someone like her should be walking through at night.

Her sense of alarm heightened when a couple of men stepped out of the vehicle and walked towards them.

Quentin made sure he was between the thugs and Vanya. He prepared himself to unsheathe the knife.

“You two cute kids going home? We can give you a lift?”

“Get lost.”

Quentin’s words were only met with jeers and snickers. Vanya was scared. She wanted to grab Quentin and run away. But these men had a car. And longer legs. She doubted they could outrun them.

Quentin didn’t want Vanya hurt. If he could have, he would have teleported them both to safety. But he never considered wanting to do a spatial jump with someone before. So here he was.

These would-be kidnappers were either part of some prostitution ring or some black market that sold human organs. And from the look on their faces, they saw what appeared to be easy prey.

He knew Vanya didn’t want anyone hurt. But it looked like there was no other choice. 

The only question was who to take out first. 

One of them took out a gun and attempted to point. Quentin never gave him the chance to aim. He jumped and made the man shoot his friend on the foot.

The others started shooting in his direction. But thankfully, the first gunman was an adequate body shield. The gun fell on the ground. Quentin was fast enough to take it and shoot gunman number two on the head. 

He turned to Vanya’s direction and saw the last gunman making a rush for her, clearly intending to grab her and take off with the car.

Quentin attempted to jump. But he was at his limits.

_Damn it!_

He started to run even though he knew there was no way to make it in time.

But then, something extraordinary happened.

The last gunman was thrown across the street and hit a nearby pole. He was either out cold or dead. Quentin didn’t really care.

He rushed to Vanya’s side.

And she looked incredulous.

“Quentin, did you?”

“No. I can’t fling a man away from me. Not without touching him. That was you, Vanya.”

—————-

The Handler waited for the results she wanted. But it looked like she was going to be disappointed.

“So Quentin finished the job?”

One of her assistants quickly confirmed it.

“But he’s not back yet?”

Another one shook her head.

“So what are you to do about it?”

“We’ve already deployed a strike team to trace and terminate him. The job should have sent his powers at its limits. So there shouldn’t be a problem taking him out.”

“Make sure there are no screwups.”

When she first received the order from the top brass, she wanted to try to change their mind. Quentin had so much potential. And it was a waste to terminate him when there was so much use to get out of him.

But orders from the top were absolute. Nothing can overturn it.

It was all for the best. The Commission deemed Quentin a threat to the timeline. And as a faithful servant of this esteemed organization, she was bound to follow its directives.

——————

Reginald Hargreeves came back to the manor to find Number Seven gone. He placed Numbers One to Six on standby while he ascertained the cause of Seven’s disappearance.

When he looked back at the recordings of the past few hours, he almost couldn’t believe his eyes.

But there was no other explanation.

Number Five had returned

———————

Quentin ushered Vanya into the would-be kidnappers’ car. He made sure Vanya put on the seatbelts and Vanya felt like laughing.

She just witnessed him take out full grown men. He intended to steal their car. But he drew the line at reckless driving.

It was funny. But she didn’t feel like laughing. Dad and Pogo lied to her.

She had powers all along. So why did they keep it from her? Why did Dad feel the need to constantly tell her she was nothing special?

Vanya didn’t know the answer. But she didn’t feel like going home to find out.

Maybe it made her a coward. But she didn’t feel ready to face Reginald Hargreeves yet.

“Take me anywhere but home.”

The anywhere turned out to be a Halloween party. Quentin heard of a competing party while he was at the previous target’s home. He really didn’t know where else to take Vanya aside from her home.

But she clearly didn’t want to go back.

Vanya told him to leave her there. But there was no way Quentin would let that happen. He spent the past few hours making sure she stayed safe. And his professional pride (that was what he told himself) wouldn’t allow him to leave something unfinished.

She didn’t know anyone here. And he really didn’t think leaving her alone was a good idea.

Music was blaring so loud that it seemed he couldn’t even hear himself think.

But Vanya just sat beside him while kids a little older than them fooled around and partied.

Then the DJ was asking everyone to pair up for the next song.

Vanya recognizes it. Forever Young by Alphaville. She loves that song.

She looked at Quentin who only nodded and lead her to the dance floor. She let the music flow through her. Hoping it would calm her down.

This night was definitely unforgettable. She suspected she would revisit it until the day she died. 

“I’m sorry to drag you here. But thank you for staying with me.”

“It’s nothing.”

Vanya felt a rush of affection for this boy. She went up on her tip toes to reach him but chickened out at the last minute. She aimed for the corner of his mouth.

But then Quentin chose that time to turn his head. He wanted to say something. But found that unnecessary when his mouth met hers.

————

“Brothers and Sisters of the End Times. I thank you for coming. I see everyone is in attendance for the anniversary of the founding of our Sacred Fraternity.”

Everyone can see that Great Brother was excited to share very important news. So everyone maintained silenced and listened closely to his next words.

“Our seer has seen something truly remarkable this night. He says that there’s a chance that The End could come sooner than the 1st of April 2019. It may even come as soon as this night!”

Everyone was now in uproar.

But Great Brother was able to put the room back in order.

“Yes! It is a true revelation! The seer has said that he has seen the key to our salvation: the one who will bring about our much longed-for apocalypse.”

“Brother, who is it? And how can we find him?”

“She is currently dressed like Russian royalty. A child who is trick or treating this night.”

“But brother, the city is vast. We might not be able to find her.”

Many other attendants showed their disappointment and displeasure until one voice made its message known.

“I think I might know who she is and where to find her.”

Had Vanya or Quentin been there, they would have recognized the owner of that voice. It was Racist Bitch.


	5. Mara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanya and Quentin learn more about the unexpected births and make plans for the immediate future

This night was a night of firsts for both Quentin and Vanya. Quentin wished he had enough time to process everything. Because everything seemed to happen so fast.

One minute he was in Vanya’s greenhouse almost contemplating murder and the next he was in the midst of people dancing with the same girl. Kissing her even.

And for the first time, he wanted time to stop. He wanted to stay with her a little longer and know everything there was to know about her.

Vanya seemed to want the same thing. To know who she really was, that is. Which was how they found themselves in the library near closing time. She wanted to know about the unexplained births. If anyone (other than Reginald Hargreeves) could have answers to how it happened and why.

The librarian wasn’t much help. They didn’t have anything about it, which to Quentin’s mind made it a shitty library.

The look on Vanya’s face made him want to torch the place. But he controlled himself. And he lead her out the front door.

On their way out, a frumpy looking woman with thick rimmed glasses came up to them.

“Oh Dear! Please take my tissue pack. You’re a lovely child. And you shouldn’t waste such a pretty face on tears.”

Vanya reached for it and wiped the telltale tears off her face.

“Thanks.”

“Mara Quinn.”

“Excuse me?”

“Mara Quinn,” the lady repeated. “If there’s anyone who spent time researching the spontaneous birth phenomena, it’s her.”

—————

Mara Quinn, PhD apparently frequents some bar downtown. Quentin took one look at it and was unimpressed. Not a lot of patrons. What few were there looked to be celebrating Halloween in full costume.

Quentin had seen worse. But this dump was weird. He couldn’t put his finger on it. But he resolved to stay close to Vanya. He could feel several eyes on them.

Then again, they were the only teens there. So it wasn’t surprising they’d draw attention.

In her quest to find answers, Vanya didn’t notice anything amiss. She took a seat as she waited for the bartender to finish with her other customers. Vanya clearly intended to ask about Mara Quinn.

“Quentin, you told me that you were planning to time travel. Could you maybe take me with you?”

He wasn’t expecting that. Was she planning to run away? He certainly had the skill and resources to take care of them both. But Quentin wanted to be sure that Vanya was thinking it through. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a burden. I was just thinking...if Mara Quinn doesn’t work out…. Maybe I could time travel with you to the past. And I could find answers there. I’m sorry. That’s a stupid idea.”

This abrupt change back to thinking she was a load frustrated Quentin. Didn’t she realize he wouldn’t have stayed with her this long if he thought her a pest? 

On the other hand, this was insane. He only met her a couple of hours ago. Yet he was ready to do anything to make sure this girl was alright.

Quentin wanted to believe he was only paying her back. But he didn’t think Vanya viewed things the same way. She just saw someone who was hurt and decided to help.

No one in The Commission was like that. He’d met no one like that until her. 

His reverie was interrupted when the bartender got to them.

“Ok, kids. The strongest drink I’ll serve you is black coffee. If you don’t like it, there’s the door.”

The bartender was clearly taking a no nonsense approach. And Vanya was at first intimidated. She took a second to breathe and asked, “Is Dr Mara Quinn here? I need help. Ms Green from the local library told us we can find her here.”

The bartender blinked and relaxed her posture. 

“That library is a pretty shitty place to get help. Their dictionaries can’t even tell you what ‘shit’ and ‘fuck’ mean. So that’s taxpayer money down the drain. How far along are you? I can’t tell with the sarafan you’re wearing. And you brought the father?”

Both Vanya and Quentin gaped at her. More for presuming they were in THAT kind of relationship rather than thinking Vanya was pregnant. They just kissed. And neither had even contemplated what to do next in the romance department.

“Sorry, no. We’re not expecting a baby. And are you-“

The bartender turned serious. And nodded.

“Yes, I’m Mara. I own the bar amongst other things. Are you here for something you don’t feel safe reporting to the police?”

The room fell silent. 

Neither Vanya nor Quentin understood what she meant. Vanya was about to explain when she saw a flash of recognition in Mara’s eyes.

“You’re Number Seven from the Umbrella Academy.”

“You’re actually the second person to recognize me tonight.” This night truly was one of the most unusual nights of her life. Dad never even mentioned her in public. But here was another lady who could tell she was from the Academy.

Mara frowned. And Vanya hoped she would not be as mean as the first one.

“That’s not good.”

Quentin perked up. What did Mara mean?

“I’ve looked at everything the press and media covered on the Umbrella Academy. And Number Seven only appeared once. And a split second at that. I do it for research. I wanted to know what happened to those kids. They were born under unusual circumstances. But what are the chances another person would remember a face showing up for a few seconds and then recognizing that same face much later? I’d say you either have a fan or a crazed stalker.”

Quentin looked her in the eye, trying to determine if Mara was one or the other. And Mara looked back. 

“Which one are you, Dr Quinn?”

“Neither. I don’t wish the children of the Umbrella Academy ill will. But I have no interest in knowing if Number Three’s curls are natural. So, you came all the way here to see me. What do I owe this pleasure?”

“Please, call me Vanya. This is Quentin. Ms Green said you’re the best person to talk to regarding how my siblings and I were born.”

Quentin sensed something change in Mara’s expression. A little more guarded. But not hostile. He was no mind reader. But it looked like she was trying to decide what exactly to tell Vanya.

Quentin decided to help it along.

“Don’t bother hiding anything. Not a good idea. She just found out dear old dad has been lying to her.”

Vanya nodded. And tried to emulate Klaus’ puppy dog look. It always worked on her when Klaus needed a favor. Maybe it would work on Mara. Assuming she was actually giving cute puppy dog vibes and not pathetic mongrel ones. Because she couldn’t stand to be pitied.

Mara seemed to have decided. And motioned for them to sit at a corner booth. Strangely enough, one of the costumed patrons took her place at the bar as soon as she left it. 

Did that mean the patron was actually an employee? Quentin didn’t sense any hostility or intention to do harm from the man. So he left that stray thought alone.

Mara wasted no time. She started with the facts Vanya already knew. 43 women gave birth at the same time on the 1st of October 1989. None of the women were pregnant when the day started. Of the children born to these women, seven ended up with Reginald Hargreeves as their legal guardian.

As for the other children, their fates varied. Some were adopted by other people. Some did not survive infancy. So far, she only found one mother who decided to keep her child.

But Mara didn’t seem happy about it. Vanya wondered why. Wasn’t it a good thing that at least one of them was wanted?

Reading her expression, Mara explained, “I met that girl. Let’s just say it wasn’t really her decision to keep the child. She didn’t do the kid any favor by keeping him.”

Mara interviewed all the mothers who would talk to her. She never found out what caused the spontaneous births. The mothers had varied diets, religious beliefs and outlooks. They were in no way related to each other and their lives never intersected.

As far as Mara could tell, the only common points were that all the mothers were young, aged somewhere from 16 to 25. They were all single. And all were from lower income households.

In other words, each one had every reason to give away babies they neither wanted nor planned for. Vanya wasn’t really expecting to finally get all the answers from this meeting. But it hurt to be reminded how unwanted she was.

A part of her didn’t want to hear anymore. It was a cowardly part that urged her to take off, run away, maybe convince Quentin to take her with him. But she let that thought go as she felt Quentin’s hand in hers. 

Vanya marveled at how a simple touch made such a difference. How it kept her from breaking down.

There was really only one question she wanted to know.

“Did any of the mothers regret giving us up? Did any of them think about any of us? There were a lot of us and only one mom kept her baby…”

Mara’s eyes seemed to glisten a little. But maybe Vanya was imagining things.

“I can’t speak for all of them. But I know of some mothers who wanted their kids back. Some of them regretted it as soon as they made the decision. And some who think about them every day hoping they did what was best for the kids. You have to understand. None of the mothers had the resources to support their kids. For a lot of them, it was a matter of life and death to give the child away because there really was nothing they could give to ensure the child’s survival.”

Silence reigned the room as the world outside received a seemingly endless torrent of rain.

Mara broke the hush by offering her business card. 

“In case you have any more questions. Or if you need help. Feel free to call. Any time. I’d offer to drive you home, but I don’t like Reginald Hargreeves and the thought of doing him a favor makes me sick. Just so you know. So feel free to take whatever I tell you with a grain of salt. Because if you want to talk about you, your siblings and how you ended up with him, it’s not without bias.”

Vanya squeezed Quentin’s hand to ready herself. And gave Mara a nod.

“As far as I can tell, all six mothers had essentially the same story. They started the day going about their lives. But by noon, they were on the ground, belly suddenly bloated and blood running down their legs. Every last one of them thought they were going to die. But they didn’t. Instead, babies came out of them. Each one perfectly healthy. But the mothers were at their wits end. They can’t support the children. They barely even had enough to support themselves. Then a few days (for some, just a few hours) later, this pompous arrogant asshole comes up to them and ask them ‘how much’ as if selling the babies were already a given. In the end, they had to be realistic. They might not like the guy but if he was willing to pay a lot of money for the kids then it means that he would take good care of them. At least that was the excuse they told themselves. So they gave up all rights to their kids. Some got a lot of money and tried to move on with their lives. A few didn’t even touch the money because it was never about the money.”

“Wait, you said six mothers? But Dad got seven babies.”

“Six, Vanya. One of the mothers gave birth to twin boys. The first boy is Number One, Luther. The younger twin was the baby who disappeared, Number Five. Hargreeves never told you?”

Vanya just shook her head. She didn’t even think Dad bothered to tell Luther he had a twin.

The look on Vanya’s face seemed to have decided something for Mara.

“It was actually his disappearance that started all this for me. When I heard he was gone, I couldn’t live with myself. I thought having money would solve all my problems. But it didn’t. So I started foundations and organizations to help pregnant teens. To help people in trouble. That at least helped me through each day. And that’s why I thought you were pregnant. When a girl your age comes to me, it’s usually for help with pregnancy. But I just couldn’t find peace until I decided to find the others. The mothers. I knew they would talk to me.”

Vanya was confused. How was Mara so sure the mothers would share what might have been the worst day of their lives with her?

“Vanya, I’m one of the mothers. I had the twins. They talked to me because I’m one of the few who know what they’ve been through.”

Vanya needed some air. And it wasn’t until she was out of Mara’s bar that she realized that she practically dragged Quentin with her. It was a good thing she decided not to walk out into the pouring rain

“I’m sorry. I’ve been dragging you everywhere since we met. I think I’ve had enough for the day. So if you want to go home, it’s ok.”

This time, Quentin was the one who tightened his hold on her.

“We’re not having this discussion again. I’m not leaving you alone in the middle of the night.”

But how can Vanya explain? She had no plans of going back to Hargreeves mansion. She couldn’t explain it. Reginald Hargreeves, for all his faults, was not physically abusive. 

And yet, something was telling her it was a bad idea to go back there. Dad- no, Reginald Hargreeves kept her powers a secret. 

As soon as she discovered what she could do, it didn’t take Vanya long to realize that the pills had suppressed her powers. With a gnawing disappointment, she realized this was why he would always remind her to take them on time.

Funny that she once saw it as proof that he actually cared about her even if she was ordinary. Now she knew otherwise.

But why? He wanted kids with extraordinary abilities. So why go to all that trouble to keep hers hidden?

She snapped out of her self-pitying thoughts. Quentin said that he had no family. Just employers. And that made her feel closer to him. He had powers as well. So if there’s anyone who would and could understand her, it would be him.

“I’m not going back to the Umbrella Academy. Everything there is a lie. Please don’t try to change my mind. I may not know how to take care of myself in the streets. But I don’t feel safe back home, if it ever was a home. Not anymore. Not with what I know.”

Quentin looked up at the starless, night sky. The streetlights were pretty dim. But if Vanya wasn’t imagining things, she could have sworn he was blushing.

“I don’t intend to change your mind. It’s your life. If tonight taught me anything, it’s that I need a partner. I might have bled to death if it wasn’t for you. I’m still quitting my job. But afterwards...If you have no other place to go, you could stay with me.”

Vanya was speechless. She vaguely noted that the torrential downpour suddenly petered out.

She’s heard of kids her age having boyfriends or girlfriends, though it didn’t feel quite right to call Quentin that. Vanya only just met him. But it felt like they’ve known each other for far longer than that. And whatever relationship they have, it seemed far deeper than a boyfriend-girlfriend type of relationship.

But before she could give him a reply, she heard a familiar voice calling her.

“Number Seven!”

And she turned to face Reginald Hargreeves, who had just come out of the car. Her siblings in tow.


	6. Life Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which chaos ensues and some life lessons are imparted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bear with me. I have no knowledge of how custody or the American legal system works so I ask readers to suspend disbelief for any inaccuracies

There was a time in Vanya’s life when she wanted her family’s regard and attention. Granted, not quite this way. But the old her would still have appreciated it.

It just goes to show how starved she was for affection. And it grated on her.

A part of her wanted to scream and shout. Call Reginald Hargreeves a liar. A bad father. Someone unworthy of any kind thought.

But here she was. Still the same child who went meek and quiet at the sight of his disapproval. 

“Get inside the car, Number Seven.”

To her credit, she made no move. Vanya may have lost her voice at the sight of Reginald Hargreeves. But she didn’t lose her resolve. Vanya would never go back. She’d go with Quentin, learn to control her newfound powers. And then, she’ll figure out what to do next with the rest of her life.

“Do not make me repeat myself, Number Seven.”

Quentin placed himself in front of Vanya. There was no way Vanya was going back, especially when she didn’t want to. Not for the first time, he wondered at his own actions.

Tonight was truly a night of firsts. Trick or treating. Consuming sugar. Kissing a girl. And attempting to protect said girl when the odds were stacked against him.

He used up all his jumps. He had no way of teleporting himself out of there, much more doing it with Vanya. Quentin was a weapons expert. Unfortunately, all he had was his knife with no way of getting close enough to the targets to make a difference.

The Umbrella Academy outnumbered him. At least two of them had long range abilities. And he knew if the girl known as Number Three used her powers, Quentin could very well have just handed Vanya back to them on a silver platter.

“Wait, Vanya has a boyfriend now? When did that happen?”

Klaus had a knack for stating the obvious. And for being hilarious while doing so. But with everyone in the Academy aware of his burgeoning drug habits, everyone learned to ignore him or at the very least, not take him seriously. Thus, the tension in the air remained.

Vanya’s anxiety skyrocketed. And she felt a pressure inside her about to let loose if she didn’t do something. She felt a vibration and thought she must be trembling.

But she noticed that it wasn’t just her. The ground was shaking. And was it just her imagination or was that fear in Reginald Hargreeves eyes?

“Number Three, have Number Seven come.”

It was then that Vanya found her voice.

“Allison, please-“

It only bought a moment’s hesitation. But Allison had been trained her whole life to follow orders.

Vanya held on to Quentin for dear life. Through the tremors and through the knowledge that this might be the last time she’d be seeing him.

“I heard a rumor you came back with us.”

Vanya expected to lose herself and find herself stepping towards her siblings. To her surprise, she remained with Quentin.

“What the hell is that?” Quentin was more confused than angry at this point.

And that’s when Vanya heard it. The Chicken Dance song was playing on a loop. And no matter how much Allison repeated her rumors, the song just kept playing and canceling the effects of her powers.

Mara was beside them. She instructed Vanya to take deep breaths until the shaking (hers and the ground’s) got weaker. 

Vanya found herself holding a mug.

“It’s chamomile. To help calm the nerves,” Mara explained while turning her gaze to Reginald and the Umbrella Academy. From Vanya’s vantage point, she could see that Reginald recognized her.

“Mara Quinn. I thought my lawyers made it clear there would be no contact with the Umbrella Academy.”

Reginald Hargreeves was as stoic as ever. But Mara showed no agitation. 

“What are you talking about? When did I make contact? All I did was talk to this girl and her boyfriend. Yes, the boy is wearing an Academy costume but it’s Halloween. With the media blitz your well paid publicist did, a dozen other kids are dressing up as Umbrella Academy students tonight. Besides, your interviews always said you only adopted five extraordinary kids. Aren’t those same five kids with you right now?”

Luther, not getting it, tried to explain. “Excuse me, Miss. But Vanya’s our sister. Dad adopted her too. It’s just that she doesn’t have powers.”

Vanya was expecting Mara’s expression to get softer around Luther. But Mara acted as if she didn’t know him. She simply retorted, “If Vanya has no powers, then who caused that quake just now? I admit that I had something to do with that Chicken Dance song. But contrary to what my tenants would like to believe, I don’t cause the ground to shake with my every step.”

It was as if a light bulb lit in every one of her siblings’ heads. And they collectively turned to Reginald. Asking with eyes concealed by their dominos.

Mara turned to Vanya with an incredulous look.

“Holy Shit! This is what he’d been lying to you about? All this time you didn’t know you had powers?” 

At Vanya’s nod, Mara turned her stare back at Reginald Hargreeves. The ground ceased shaking. And Vanya could only marvel at how anyone can just look Dad in the eye and keep standing up to him.

Dad didn’t stay silent for long.

“This is enough. I will not have you of all people question how the students of the Umbrella Academy are brought up. As their legal guardian, I will do as I see fit. These children will save the world and it is my responsibility to ensure they are up to the task.”

Mara merely raised an eyebrow.

“There are so many things I’d like to tear apart with what you just said. But let’s start with saving the world. You’re telling me your students have the answer to ending poverty, lack of education, the unequal allocation of resources and the degradation of the environment? Because if so, I’d like to hear the first step to achieving it. The world’s slowly dying kids. So how do you plan to save it?”

For the first time in living memory, Vanya’s siblings had nothing to say. She imagined them looking like deers caught in headlights.

“Resounding silence. Hmm. I like that answer but I gotta say that won’t be enough to save the world, kids. It looks like your guardian didn’t educate you much about the world outside your exclusive school. So here’s a lesson free of charge. Maybe you’re expecting there to be this giant meteor that needs to be destroyed or this Godzilla class monster terrorizing the eastern seaboard. I admit you’re powers would come in handy. But those are usually few and far between. Most of the ordinary world problems comes from ordinary people. How they treat others, especially those they see as weaker than themselves. And I gotta tell you, they usually suck. And despite what your guardian and what the media would have you believe, you guys are starting to suck too.”

That drew indignant huffs from Vanya’s siblings. The Chicken Dance was still playing non-stop but by this time, no one seemed to notice or care about it anymore.

“We s-s-save people.”

Diego was agitated. And no one missed the return of his stammer.

“But at the cost of other people’s lives. Don’t tell me you didn’t have a choice with those bank robbers. Allison could have rumored all of them to surrender peacefully. But most of them ended up in body bags instead. Had you been taught anything worthwhile about dealing with other people, you ought to know that lethal force should always be the last option. Never the default and never to be taken lightly. Honestly, when I look at you kids, I don’t see heroes. Just a bunch of brats who happened to be born with amazing abilities. Have you guys ever competed with other kids without using your powers? Because from what I’ve seen, you rely on them too much. And in a fair fight, our local paintball team can pretty much annihilate you in a matter of minutes.”

From her siblings’ indignant noises, Vanya could tell they were unused to an outside adult speaking to them this way. All their lives, her siblings were showered with praises and adoration whenever out in public. Mara was the first one to tell them they weren’t so great.

“Why are you guys surprised? The local team are pretty resourceful. They work well together. I mean, what do you do when your sister doesn’t want to go home? You try to rumor her. I’m telling you that our local paintball team will eventually get their sisters back home without rumoring them. At your current levels, the world would have to end before the Umbrella Academy could produce the same results.”

Reginald was clearly out of patience and made for Vanya’s direction. Fully intending to take her himself. An arrow shooting past him got him to stop on his tracks.

“Funny you should say that, Mara. Because the end times are nigh. Please step away from our savior and let us retrieve her in peace.”

Quentin’s eyes shot up in disbelief to see a bunch of white-robed figures carrying crossbows, spears and various other medieval age weaponry.

Mara did not move away from Quentin or Vanya. But ushered them behind her.

“Silas. You’re trespassing again. Get yourself and your friends out of my neighborhood. No one’s interested in joining your freaky doomsday cult. Besides, I thought your judgment day was supposed to be in 17 years.”

For a doomsday cultist, Silas was unbelievably chipper. And he explained how their Seer saw that the end times can come as soon as tonight. 

Mara just looked so exasperated. Vanya wondered how long Mara knew this cultists and how many times they’ve had similar conversations.

“For the last time, Adam is not a seer. He’s a 13 year old boy who happens to be very good at calculating probabilities. Sure he can tell you what numbers most likely win the lottery and he can be right most of the time. But that doesn’t mean everything he says are actually the word of god.”

Quentin was beginning to think Silas was only using his smiling face to hide his intentions. Usually, Quentin could tell his target’s next move from facial tics and body language. But Silas was hard to read.

Silas took what seemed like a long time to reply. But it made no sense to any of the children present.

“The Seer was right about what happened to the mothers. About what will happen to you.”

“Adam said I’ll be gone soon. That was five years ago. And I’m still here. You’re not taking anyone in this neighborhood. Get lost, asshole.”

And finally, Quentin could read Silas’ expression. It was akin to saying,”So be it.”

Vanya read the same expression too. And jumped in front of Mara. Quentin followed suit and didn’t realize he was in front of Vanya until he was looking directly at Silas about to pull the trigger to his crossbow.

“Halt or I’ll shoot.”

Everyone turned to the source of that command. They found a group of people wearing what seemed like gas masks.

It took Quentin less than a second to recognize them and know what it meant. The Commission strike team. And they were here to take him out. That’s the only reason for deploying the strike team. The only reason they stopped Silas was because the cheapskates in administration won’t pay them if they didn’t do the job themselves.

This was one clusterfuck of a day.

Vanya could suddenly hear what seemed to be hundreds of hearts beating fast as tensions were running higher than ever before. Quentin squeezed her hand in an attempt to calm her down. She assumed the masked gunmen were from Quentin’s workplace. But Quentin didn’t seem happy to see them.

“We have no business with any of you. Just give us the boy and we’ll be on our way.”

Quentin would have run. But he didn’t want to endanger Vanya. The strike team would most likely take him somewhere secluded to put him down. They were confident he won’t put up much of a fight. The Commission knew he had his limits. And he had reached it. It would take time to replenish his energy. But it looked like he had no more time.

He tried to let go of Vanya. But for what was neither the first nor would be the last time, Vanya held on to him for dear life. This time her grip was stronger than before. It was as if she knew instinctively that to let go would mean losing him forever.

“Bringing guns here is a mistake. Put down your weapons. And you can go peacefully. I assure you, you’ll regret it if you don’t.”

The strike team took one look at Mara and Quentin could tell they were struggling to keep down a full belly laugh at the ridiculousness of an unarmed woman giving orders to a bunch of trained killers.

If anything, it proved a distraction because Diego’s knives landed on one gunman while a bunch of arrows hit the others.

Being at the middle of the chaos, it was a miracle Vanya, Quentin and Mara didn’t get hit.

It didn’t take long for the gunmen to fire back. But a strange thing happened. All the bullets never hit targets. Instead they were pulled to a nearby wall. 

All the gunmen and cultists were suddenly slumped on the ground. All unconscious. 

Ben was relieved he didn’t have to show his monsters. And he looked around to see telltale darts sticking out of the unconscious men. When he looked around, he saw every window on every building lining the street were open. Each had at least one tranq rifle sticking out.

This was clearly no ordinary neighborhood. Where exactly were they? And who was that lady? How did she get tech that would cancel Allison’s power?

As if in answer, Mara addressed the Umbrella Academy.

“I have money and friends in high and low places. They get me interesting things now and then. You’re free to come and go whenever you want but as you can see, we won’t hesitate to act at the slightest sign of trouble. Oh yes, Reginald. Catch.”

At her words, a man in a hero costume threw a case at Dad. Luther caught it with ease.

“I’m giving myself an early Christmas present. I’m suing for custody.”

For the first time, the children found their adopted father flustered. Red in the face.

“This is ridiculous! You’ve relinquished all parental rights to your offspring.”

Mara was one of their moms? For a moment, he thought it might be nice to live somewhere out of the academy. Playing paintball with other kids his age sounded fun. But realized that wouldn’t be possible. Mara was white and non-Asian. 

Mara only smiled and held up her hand.

“Let me disabuse you of a misconception, Reginald. I’m not fighting you for just one kid. I’m fighting you for all of them. You think I have no legal leg to stand on? Don’t be so sure. You provided enough ammunition. Putting the children through unsafe conditions? Lying to Vanya about her powers? Having Allison use her powers of persuasion on her? And yes, I’ve even heard of giving the kids only thirty minutes a week of fun. The other mothers gave me written permission. So if I win, the kids will make their way to me. Better prepare your legal eagles.”

Reginald Hargreeves took the file but could not help but try to put the last word in.

“You will lose. Don’t think your name won’t be dragged to the ground for this Mara.”

“I don’t care. Every day you spend in court is every day the children spend away from you and your missions. Court battles can get long, I hear. Who knows, by the time this is resolved they’ll be 18 and living their own lives. By the way, A+ parenting Reginald. You didn’t even notice that Vanya and her boyfriend are gone.”

True enough. Vanya and her friend were nowhere in sight. All that’s left was a blue light slowly fading from view.

—————-

Neither Quentin nor Vanya knew exactly what happened. When shots started firing, they collectively wished to be anywhere, anytime but the here and now. 

They found themselves in what appeared to be an office with cubicles and desks. Vanya took a look at the calendar and froze.

“What is it?”

Quentin looked at the calendar. The day marked today as May 1, 1990. It was already dark outside and the office was deserted. But he could feel Vanya’s distress.

“Vanya! We went back in time! That’s wonderful!”

“Quentin, we have to go. Go back to the Academy!”

Quentin made sure Vanya was looking at him. Vanya spent the last hour wanting nothing more to do with the Academy. Now she wants to go back?

“Quentin! Today is the day Number Five disappears. We have to go back and stop it!”


	7. Number Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanya and Quentin learn what happened to Five

Had it been up to Vanya, they would have been halfway to Hargreeves House by now. Or at least, that’s what she assumed despite not knowing the exact location of the office building they were in now.

But Quentin insisted that he had to do something first before they moved out of there.

It didn’t take Vanya long to realize what Quentin’s intentions were when he took out his knife and made a vertical cut along his arm. Vanya stifled a cry as Quentin used his bare hands to take out what looked like a tracker.

Was that how the masked gunmen found him?

Quentin crushed the tracker and Vanya was thankful she’d brought the first aid kit with her.

She motioned for him to take a seat as she prepared the disinfectant and the bandages.

“Those gunmen. Are they working for The Commission?”

“Yes.”

“Why do they want you dead?”

“I don’t know, Vanya.”

But when Vanya gave him an incredulous look, Quentin decided to share his theories while wondering how she managed to read him in such a short amount of time.

“They may have found out about my time jump calculations. With it, I can travel without the need for The Commission suitcase. Become a free agent outside their control. And like any other organization, they want a monopoly on their product. The Commission likes to spout that they exist to ensure the continuity of the timeline. But for a long time now, I’ve been thinking it’s all bullshit. To them, the correct timeline is the one that benefits the Commission the most.”

Vanya was almost afraid to ask how the Commission ensured the timeline went their way. But she spent most of her life in the dark about who and what she was. About what kind of man Reginald Hargreeves was. 

After the revelations in the past few hours, she refused to remain blind to any truth. No matter how unpalatable it could be.

“Quentin, what did your employers have you do?”

Vanya felt Quentin go still as she bandaged his wound. The weight of his stare felt heavy on her. When she could no longer bear it, she raised her head to finally look him in the eyes.

“At first, I helped engineer disasters. Collapsing bridges, sinking ships, plane crashes and the like. Later missions had me taking out individual targets. When we met, I just finished my first solo mission.”

He said it in a matter-of-fact tone. No different from reading out a report to a class on one of the few lessons Vanya was allowed to take with her siblings.

Quentin was thirteen now. The same age as Vanya. But what the Commission taught him to do made him seem a lot older. She could only imagine the type of environment Quentin grew up in for him to treat killing as if it were nothing. But upon further reflection, she found she could easily imagine it as a more extreme version of how Reginald trained her siblings. And it made her heart ache.

In her head, she knew that Quentin was telling her the truth. But it was hard for her to see Quentin as the callous killer he described. Quentin was the first person who truly made her feel like she could be something special. He looked out for her and did more for her in the hours they’ve known each other than Reginald Hargreeves did in her entire life. 

It would take her time to reconcile the Quentin she knew to the Quentin who used to work for the Commission. All she had now is her resolve to stand by her friend. To be there for him no matter what.

After all, when they met, he already made up his mind to quit. And given that the Commission sent people to kill him, Vanya pretty much figured both sides wanted a parting of ways. Granted they had a different idea of the nature of said parting.

“You were there for me when I found out everything in my life was a lie. So I’ll be there for you too. When I learn how to control my powers, I’ll help you fight them off. I won’t let them hurt you.”

The determination on Vanya’s face made her even cuter in Quentin’s opinion. It was a marvel that this girl who didn’t even think she could be a great violinist would actually think to take on The Commission for his sake. A warmth was spreading in his chest. Quentin briefly wondered if he’d been shot. But a brief check confirmed that no bullet reached him.

What the hell was going on with him?

They eventually made it out of the office building. And with Quentin’s excellent navigation skills, they found Hargreeves House in almost no time at all.

As she was growing up, Vanya spent an inordinate amount of time in what had been Number Five’s room. She had always wondered what it would have been like to grow up with Number Five. Would he have made time for her? Listened to her hopes and dreams? Maybe listened to her music and tell her that she was special? 

Logically, she knew that it was all in her head. Stopping his kidnapping wouldn’t guarantee Five becoming her friend. But she went back to the day he was kidnapped. And she had the power to stop it.

So here they were at the fire escape by Five’s nursery. No one knew how exactly Five had been taken. Pogo told her there were no signs of forced entry. But with Pogo complicit in Reginald’s lies, Vanya didn’t know whether to believe him this time.

In that case, she was taking no chances. She’d stick as close to Baby Five as possible. And there he was in his cradle. Sleeping peacefully. All she could think was how adorable he was and how she wished she could hold him in her arms.

She never got a chance to hold an actual baby before. But she imagined they were soft and warm. Perhaps more fragile and cuddly than one of Allison’s plush toys.

Vanya held onto Quentin’s hand for comfort. He was here with her. And she didn’t really understand how natural it all felt. It was as if they’ve been together for a long time and it was only to be expected that he’d stand by her no matter what.

She wondered if the Commission made him feel lonely. If that loneliness eventually led him to quit. Vanya also wondered if they could sense that in the other. And that’s how their bond formed.

Quentin noticed the unnatural stillness around and motioned for Vanya to stay quiet. He wondered about the sense of dread in his gut and realized that everything around them was frozen. Not in ice. But in motion.

Time was halted and Quentin had a sick feeling he knew who caused it.

Vanya kept her eyes on Five’s room. One moment everything was peaceful. But by the next, the peace was replaced by a clear and utter silence. The lack of sound disturbed Vanya deeply. It was as if no one was alive and nothing existed. No hearts were beating. No breeze was keeping anything in motion.

For a moment, she thought she saw herself in a dark soundless room. No one around to hear her cry or give her comfort.

It was over in a few seconds. And had it been any other circumstance, Vanya would have given in to the rising panic.

But Five’s life was on the line. And she had to stay focused. In a blink of an eye, she saw another occupant in Five’s room, standing by his cradle. A white-haired woman in black. She was by no means elderly. And she made to take Five out of his cradle.

“Who are you?”

The white-haired woman turned to see Reginald Hargreeves pointing a gun at her. If it surprised or frightened her, she never showed it. She only smiled.

“That’s unimportant. All you need to know is that I’ll be taking this child and you won’t breathe a word about me. We know who and what you are. And if you want that kept quiet, you’ll just consider this baby a sunk investment. I’ve been observing his mother for some time. And really, I wasn’t surprised she demanded such an obscene amount. What was it? Fifty million for each child?”

Reginald lowered the gun and glared.

“I was planning on recruiting her. But out of the blue, she had two little miracles. And you decide to buy her kids for a hundred million. There’s no way she’d take my job offer now. So I’ll be taking one child as compensation. I have a good feeling about this one. Mara’s pragmatism should surely rub off on him. What? Nothing to say? Good. Don’t worry. We won’t see each other again.”

Vanya wasn’t sure she followed everything the woman said. But she knew Reginald wouldn’t be stopping the white-haired woman. Whatever his secret was, he valued it more than saving Five. 

The house started shaking. She was about to shatter the glass window that kept her out. But in a blink of an eye, she found herself by a lake and it was morning. 

Vanya let go of Quentin’s hand. For the first time, she was angry at him. Quentin didn’t have to look at her to know it. The ground was trembling with Vanya. A stray thought wondered on the exact nature of Vanya’s powers. He never traveled in time before and he knew he didn’t have the energy to accomplish it himself.

“Why did you do that?!”

“Vanya, breathe first. In and out, like Mara said.”

“NO! Tell me why!”

Lesser men would have been terrified at Vanya’s show of power. It’s a good thing Quentin was never anything but superior to them. He kept his cool, looked her in the eye and repeated his instructions.

It made Vanya even more angry. But not enough to abandon reason. So she did as he asked. Took deep gulps of air until she managed to calm down.

There was a bench nearby and she sat down. Her kokoshnik was now halfway off her head. So she pulled out all the pins that managed to keep the headdress from complying with gravity and finally took it off.

Seeing no point in keeping her hair up, Vanya combed it with fingers, finally letting it fall free too. 

And Quentin stood mesmerized by it. It took time for him to realize Vanya was demanding answers.

He sat down beside her and gazed at the lake.

“If you’d stopped her, the Commission would just have sent other people to get the baby. And that would have put you in danger. I can’t have that.”

Vanya slowly pieced together what Quentin was trying to say.

“The white-haired woman is from the Commission? You know her?”

He nodded and continued, “Everyone in the Commission calls her the Handler. I know. The Commission does not have the knack for original naming.”

“But if she took Five, does that mean you’ve met him?”

Quentin looked at her now. And she knew. She knew before he confirmed it. She could see his resemblance to Mara now and chided herself for not noticing sooner.

“There are no other kids my age at The Commission. Vanya, I am Number Five.”

Of all the truths that were revealed in the span of a night, that seemed to have been the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back.

Vanya fainted.


	8. Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quentin and Vanya decide what to do next

The first thing Vanya saw upon opening her eyes was a wilting potted plant. The sight of it reminded her of the greenhouse back at the academy, which turned her thoughts on her siblings and then to Number Five. This just lead her to remember everything she found out since she met Quentin.

Her powers, Mara, and Number Five growing up to be Quentin.

Vanya thought that finding answers would give her some measure of peace. But it looked like the answers lead to more questions.

Why did Reginald Hargreeves go through all that trouble to keep her in the dark about her powers? And why did she never even suspect she had these powers in the first place?

Why did the Commission want Quentin dead? Was it really as Quentin surmised: that they don’t want potential competition?

And thinking of Quentin, she wondered what he was going to do now. In another life, they would have grown up together. There’s a part of her that resented Reginald and The Handler for robbing them of that opportunity.

From the small things he let slip, Vanya could tell that Quentin grew up without anyone to truly care about or rely on. And with no one really being there to look out for him and his well being. He was the only child in an organization that saw his value in what he could do for it.

And the thought made her sick. Because she knew how it felt to be seen as different. To not be included because you cannot relate to what the people around you were going through.

But then, it wasn’t an impartial set of circumstances that ensured they were treated this way. It was people who caused this. They knew what their actions would bring but did it anyway, not caring how badly it would affect Quentin or herself. Neither the Handler nor Reginald Hargreeves would think it mattered if she or Quentin withered like the potted plant in front of her.

It was silly and perhaps she was just projecting her woes on this poor plant. But it didn’t stop her from reaching out to touch a dry, brown leaf as if petting the plant like a dog would make it feel better.

In this case though, a touch was all it took to rejuvenate the plant. Vanya suddenly felt like King Midas. But instead of turning it into gold, the plant came back to life. The brown desiccated leaves immediately turning into a lush healthy green. Vanya felt the energy pour out of her and into the plant. And she marveled at her powers.

“I think you can manipulate energy. That’s how you pushed the thug away without touching him and how you saved the plant. I think that’s how we time traveled.”

She turned to find Quentin by her bedside. And realized she was down to the thin camisole dress she wore underneath her Halloween costume.

Quentin immediately reached for the the sarafan draped on the nearby chair and offered it to her. But Vanya was too busy hiding under the covers to see. As far as she was concerned, she might as well be naked and this was so embarrassing.

She had fainted and had left Quentin to deal with it. What must be going through his mind? Does he regret asking someone like Vanya to stay with him? And for a boy to undress her and see how skinny she was! Vanya saw Allison and Klaus’ magazines of beautiful women and knew she could never compare.

Mom said she was pretty and would grow to be even prettier. But Mom was Mom. She was programmed to love Vanya and her siblings. So Vanya couldn’t be sure she could trust Mom to be objective about it.

But most of all, she wondered if Quentin was re-evaluating her usefulness. Sure she knew how to dress wounds. She just found out she also had powers. But if Vanya had to rely on Quentin’s support (physical or emotional) all the time, she feared he’d get tired of her constant need for affection and leave. She’d be all alone again.

On his part, Quentin couldn’t believe his luck. He never thought he’d find someone like Vanya. Being raised by an organization meant that his existence depended on how useful he was to the Commission. There was no one his age and no one with his abilities. So there was really no one he felt truly remarkable enough to confide in.

Each and every one of his trainers reported his progress and every move back to The Handler. Hence Five learned at a very young age to keep his secrets to himself or risk the Commission getting everything from him. He knew the Commission thought of him as property.

This was partly the reason he wanted to unlock his ability to time travel. While he definitely wanted to achieve new heights, he also wanted to be independent of the Commission. Not that he was thinking of quitting when he started his time jump calculations. Just that he wanted to prove that he could thrive even without the Commission’s guidance.

Vanya was the first person he ever met who wanted to help him even without the promise of a favor. The first person he could truly believe to care about him and would give a damn if he no longer existed. And for her to be the key to making his time travel possible seemed like fate. 

Quentin could admit to himself that his powers had limits. Both spatial and time jumps required an enormous amount of energy. An amount that he is currently unable to replenish quickly enough for his liking. And Vanya was the closest thing to an unlimited battery.

If he had his way, he’d stay with her forever. As much as he needed her, she needed him too. He didn’t know why. On paper, the things he did for Vanya were not as impressive as the work he did for the Commission. And yet, he felt more fulfilled when he dried her tears and made her smile than formulating the most ingenious strategies for the Commission.

But he was unwilling to put her in danger. The Commission was hunting him. And while he was touched by Vanya’s resolve to protect him, he didn’t want her to get hurt.

At the moment, he wanted to hold her close and not let go. He wished he had more time with her. Would they have grown up to be closer had The Handler not taken him from his cradle? The thought of exploring alternative timelines was an interesting concept. But something to be tabled for much later. Once he survived the Commission.

Vanya had still not come out of her cocoon of blankets. So he placed her clothes back on the chair. At the time, it was a no-brainer to take them off as the clothing made for uncomfortable sleepwear.

But what was a surprise was the heat he felt while undressing her. It gave him both thrill and discomfort to see her alabaster white arms and legs. And he didn’t understand it as he’d seen people in various states of semi-nudity (mostly while on a mission). But when it came to targets and everyone in the target’s periphery, all he thought was how to kill them swiftly and efficiently to beat the mission record.

Quentin was also confused why Vanya was feeling shy. He grew up having to strip down to his underwear (sometimes not even that) so that a team of doctors could examine him. It wasn’t a big deal.

“Are you coming out to get dressed?”

Vanya’s face peeked out from under the blankets. Not for the last time, he was struck by how adorable she looked with her face That particular shade of red.

“Could you give me some privacy?”

Quentin wanted to inject reason into this. He’d seen her before and it wouldn’t make a difference now. But he suspected Vanya might just destroy their current shelter with his reply. So he left the room and came back once Vanya called out to him.

“Where? When are we?”

“We jumped a day after the kidnapping. To a cabin just outside the city. I’ve never done this before. Teleporting in an unfamiliar place and time. But I think with your abilities, the number of jumps I can do just expanded. That’s amazing, Vanya!”

Vanya didn’t seem to be as excited as he was.

“How are you doing, Quentin? We just found out you’re Number Five. Luther is your twin! We met your mom. Do you want to go back and see them?”

Quentin didn’t really give it much thought. When he was younger, he briefly wondered where he came from. But soon put it aside in favor of training and unlocking the secrets of his abilities. In fact, he made it a point to ignore information not directly relevant to his powers or his mission.

So when Vanya brought it up, Quentin felt himself freeze. He realized he was way outside his comfort zone. The notion of family was foreign to him. What would he even do with a birth mother and a twin brother? When he found out he was one of Mara’s twins, his mind fixated on the number associated with his purchase. Fifty million per baby. All he thought was that it explained how she got hold of really advanced tech.

Vanya seemed to understand what was going through his mind. She held his hand and got him to sit down on the bed.

“You’re feeling out of your element. You never had a family before. I understand. I grew up thinking I was ordinary. And now I know I have these powers. I’m scared and excited at the same time. But I hope we could help each other figure them out together.”

The smile that lit up Vanya’s face was infectious. In that moment, he figured out what they needed to do.

“Mara’s the one most willing to give answers. So we should go to her first. It’s strange that all the birth mothers were poor, relatively young and alone in the world. I’ve never heard of any bacteria or virus that would target by that demographic. Sounds more like a prostitution ring’s victim of choice.”

Vanya did wonder about that. Did that mean the mothers were chosen specifically? And who would benefit from that?

But there was something that Quentin said niggling at her.

“Mara said all the mothers were single. That doesn’t necessarily mean they were orphans.”

The look on Quentin’s face reminded her of the time (was it just a few hours ago?) she told him sugar wasn’t poisonous. But it couldn’t be. How can he not know what single meant? Then again, the Commission probably didn’t expound on how society and civilization worked.

For all of his maturity at thirteen, it was endearing to know that there were things Quentin was clueless about.

“Being single means that the mothers weren’t married. Or didn’t have romantic partners who could have helped them take care of the baby.”

“Wait. What does being married mean?”

“Basically, that two people decide to stay together until they die.”

Quentin blinked. And then silence.

Vanya was about to suggest that they get ready to go when Quentin said, “So back at Mara’s bar, I essentially just asked you to marry me?”

Because if so, Quentin thought marriage sounded like a great idea. Though the shock on Vanya’s face seemed to indicate he didn’t completely understand what the word meant


	9. Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They see Mara again

It didn’t take long for Vanya and Quentin to pack up and leave. They didn’t bring much. And traveling through time and space didn’t take that long relatively speaking.

What actually held them up was Quentin’s questions. It took Vanya a better part of an hour to explain that a ceremony had to take place with friends and families in attendance as well as someone qualified to marry two people in order for said couple to be identified as married.

Unsurprisingly, Quentin was utterly uninterested in marriage ceremonies. What did a ceremony have to do with two people deciding to live side by side together? Shouldn’t simply two people be involved? Why was there a need for others to be included?

“If I get married, I’d like my brothers and sister to be there. I love them. I always imagined being happily married and I want to share my happiness with them.”

Vanya wanted Quentin to meet her siblings. Sure, she wasn’t as close to them as she wanted to be. But with what she’d learned about herself and about their lives, she felt at least some hope that things might change for the better. 

She hoped that her future would have both Quentin and her siblings in it. But with her Luther and the others still under Reginald’s thumb and Five not showing much interest in them, it looked like a pipe dream at the moment.

Quentin wasn’t particularly looking forward to meeting Vanya’s siblings. While one of them was actually genetically related to him and while they would have been his siblings had he grown up in the academy, he just didn’t know how they would fit in his life. True, he made room for Vanya. But with the Commission on his heels, he didn’t know how to avoid Vanya or anyone close to them getting hurt.

The life he had before was so much easier because he found it simpler to hurt rather than be hurt. But for the life of him, he wouldn’t go back to that if it meant losing what he gained now.

Vanya’s idea of a marriage ceremony, a wedding she called it, had too many people. He knew he was procrastinating by thinking too much on it. But for once, he wanted to live a normal life. He had absolutely no idea what that would entail exactly. But he was willing (though terrified) to try it out if it meant he and Vanya were safe and together.

However, as soon as the thought came, he banished it away. He can move through time and space. Vanya can store and manipulate a seemingly limitless amount of energy. Their lives would never be normal. It was a waste of time to wish otherwise when time should be spent on getting out of their current predicament.

Quentin doubted Mara could help much with whatever information she had. But it’s only due diligence to leave no stone unturned. Besides, Vanya liked the woman. He wasn’t much of a motivational speaker. And with Vanya receiving several shocking reveals, he was hoping the older woman could have something to say that would bring Vanya some comfort.

So without any need for words, they held each other’s hands and jumped.

The next thing Vanya knew, they were back in Mara’s bar. Mara’s eyes went wide as she noticed them. But that didn’t stop Mara from tipping a bowl to her mouth and consuming some dark liquid.

Vanya caught a whiff of it and realized Mara was drinking coffee. From a bowl.

“I can see judgment in your eyes. And in my defense, I needed that. You guys came back right on time because this Halloween is going to be one long night.”

Mara gestured for them to take a seat across from her, all the while looking intently at Quentin.

“Who are you really, Quentin?”

Quentin never even so much as blinked. He just plopped down on the cushioned chair and replied.

“I just found out I’m one of the kids you sold for 50 million.”

Mara didn’t even register a reaction. It was all Quentin needed to know that Mara knew or at least she suspected it before they came back.

“I thought as much. I had a feeling you were one of the kids. And I recognize on sight every one that survived past infancy, except one: Number Five.”

A long silence followed. It seemed to Vanya that Mara and Quentin were engaged in a stare-off, using it to gauge the other for something Vanya can’t even begin to name.

When a Vanya grew weary of the silence, she decided to ask a question she’d wondered about since she found out Quentin’s identity.

“What’s Quentin’s real name? And what about Luther’s?”

Mara broke eye contact, bit her lip and was tapping her fingers on the wooden table,

Now Vanya wondered if she asked an embarrassing question. Did Mara even give her twins names? That would make sense since Mara wasn’t expecting any baby in the first place.

“I’m sorry for asking that out of the blue.”

Now Vanya felt embarrassed. She wished she knew how to act in these situations. Vanya hadn’t spent this much time outside the Hargreeves mansion and this night was the only time she’d seen and met so many people. She cursed herself for being so socially inept.

“Don’t be. As a matter of fact, I did give them names. I was actually surprised Luther kept his name. I named him after my father. Luther looks like the spitting image of my dad.”

Mara took out a photo of a man standing beside a fire truck. And Vanya could see that Mara wasn’t exaggerating. Looking at Mara’s father was like taking a glimpse at what Luther would look like as an adult. How did Mom know to give her brother the name Luther? Pogo was the one who programmed Mom. So perhaps Pogo knew?

There were so many questions that she can only get from the Academy. But Vanya didn’t think anything would get her to go back there.

“Your dad was a fireman?”

“Yes. He died in the line of duty.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. He died saving a lot of people. When I was younger, I resented that because it meant I couldn’t see him anymore. But now, I just miss him.”

Looking at Mara, Vanya wondered what it would be like to have a father who cared about her. Mara had a soft look on her face that told Vanya that she adored her father. 

Vanya honestly couldn’t say if she’d miss Reginald Hargreeves if he died. So she couldn’t help feeling a little bit of envy.

“As for Quentin’s name, I don’t think you guys would really want to know.”

On the contrary, Vanya couldn’t believe how much higher her interest peaked. 

Even Quentin was waiting in expectation. He probably wouldn’t use his birth name. But knowledge is power. So he figured there wouldn’t be any harm in knowing.

“Fine. But don’t blame me if you don’t like it. I have to explain. At the time the twins were born, I thought I was living the worst days of my life. So I decided to name them after things I loved. You know, to try to cheer myself up. So I named Luther after my dad. No-brainer. And you....”

Quentin was beginning to suspect he was saddled with an embarrassing name. But Vanya was at the edge of her seat. And he suddenly felt like a man riding to his doom but unable to stop it because of being securely strapped to his chair.

“ I named you after my favorite character in Watership Down and my other favorite thing: money in multiples of five.”

At the blank looks of her audience, Mara sighed.

“Your name really is Five. When you were born, I couldn’t help but notice that you were a runt. Have you seen Luther? That kid was never a small baby. So at the time you kind of reminded me of Fiver, who was also the runt of the bunny litter. And at the same time, I was holding a five dollar note. So that’s where your name came from.”

Vanya and Quentin were both speechless. They honestly didn’t expect that. 

Vanya wondered what was Watership Down and what a ship had to do with bunnies.

And to his own surprise, Quentin actually liked the name Five. And decided to go by that from then on.


	10. Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanya and everyone else experience a blackout

This Halloween was a night of changes. Vanya already knew that. While Quentin who now wanted to be called Five told Mara of their adventure back in time and how he grew up in the Commission, Vanya was pondering over Mara’s latest actions.

Mara was suing Reginald for custody. Not just for Luther. All of them. A part of her felt comfort that she would have a place to go to. But another part of her feared it was too good to be true.

Reginald Hargreeves was a powerful man with plenty of connections. And Mara taking him on felt like a lone soldier standing up against an invading army.

Besides, a custody battle would take time to resolve. Vanya didn’t think the court would let Vanya stay with Mara. In fact, if police officers found Vanya, wouldn’t they take her back to Hargreeves since he was her legal guardian?

Vanya decided to push it aside to find out what she came here for.

“Mara, could you tell us what caused our births? And how we have these powers. I thought I was a fluke but it looks like all the kids born...the way we were born have special abilities.”

Mara clasped her hands. And one of the costumed bar patrons came up, set down a file and just as promptly left them.

“Right now, all I have are conjectures. How much do you know about Reginald Hargreeves?”

Vanya thought about it. Her adopted father kept his secrets close to his vest. He never once revealed an anecdote of his life to her. Everything she knew about him came from Pogo, books or articles talking about Reginald Hargreeves as an eccentric billionaire and inventor.

There were paintings at the house that Vanya once assumed were his ancestors. But Reginald Hargreeves neither confirmed nor denied it.

“When he immigrated to the US, he bought an umbrella factory. And that’s supposedly the origin of his wealth and the name of the school. But here’s the thing. That was in the late 1800’s.”

Vanya couldn’t believe it. If that were true, Reginald Hargreeves would be more than a century old. She looked at the photos Mara spread over the table. Each picture varied in quality and color, some more aged than others.

Was it possible that Mara was wrong? After all, he could have had an ancestor that looked exactly alike. 

On the other hand, there was no mistaking the eyes. It was Reginald Hargreeves’ eyes. And in all the photos, he was still wearing his monocle.

“I honestly don’t know who or what he is. No one lives this long and in peak health. At least no normal human. I only have my guesses but I think Hargreeves would know what caused the births.”

“Why?”

At this point, Vanya already had an inkling of what Mara thought. But she wanted Mara to say it out loud.

“Every one of the mothers I talked to got a visit from him. It wasn’t long after they gave birth. Some already gave the babies up for adoption. Some wouldn’t say where their babies were but I suspect they didn’t survive a day. And then there were some who gave them to Reginald. I think he knew the births would happen beforehand and wanted to gather as many of the kids as possible.”

Vanya was disappointed. The answers she wanted to know would have to come from Reginald Hargreeves. And she wasn’t sure she wanted to see him ever again even for that.

But since she was already here with Mara, she might as well take what she could get.

“Did you talk to my birth mother?”

“Yes. Her name was Tatiana. She was the youngest to give birth at 16. Right before she had you, she just kissed the boy she liked for the first time. A few years later, she married that boy. When I last talked to her, she wondered about you and hoped you were doing ok. There’s no easy way to say this. But she passed away a year ago. Cancer.”

“Oh.”

Despite never having met Tatiana, Vanya felt a sense of loss. 

“Listen. She would have contacted you but all the mothers who gave their kids to Reginald had to sign a no-contact clause. None of us were allowed to go near the Academy. I know how hollow that excuse is but in Tatiana’s case, Reginald’s money was the only thing keeping her parents and her siblings above water- Here, have a tissue.”

Vanya hoped that this was the last set of tissue packs she’d blow through this night. The rain started pouring outside again. And she hoped that no one else’s Halloween was like hers.

“What about the other mothers? Diego’s? Klaus’ or Ben’s?”

Mara went silent. And both Five and Vanya could tell that she was preparing to deliver very bad news.

“They’re dead. Diego’s birth mother died in a car crash. Klaus’ mom died from a drug overdose. And Ben’s mom had a brain aneurysm. Allison’s mom is still alive. But she’s dying.”

“Then we have to tell Allison. She has to see her mom before she dies.”

For the first time, Vanya saw Mara holding back tears. Mara took her hand for a few seconds before she managed to control herself.

“I don’t think that would be a good idea, Vanya. Don’t look at me like that. Here’s the thing. Allison’s mom, Lila, she was the best of us. Lila never gave Allison up for the money. She thought that adoption was the best thing for Allison. And she never touched a cent of Hargreeves’ money. Instead, she gave it all to charity. The first time I heard that I told her she was dumb for doing that. Shit.”

Of all the things she’d heard this night, this was the one she both wanted and didn’t want to know. Vanya knew deep in her bones that what Mara was about to say was much worse than knowing she never got the chance to meet her birth mother.

“I started talking to the mothers when Five disappeared. And I kept in touch with most of them. I used the time and the money to make contacts that could tell me what was going on in that Academy. Unsurprisingly, the info I got was sparse. Hargreeves doesn’t trust a lot of people. But around the time you were four, we heard that 4 nannies got seriously hurt within the span of a month. Lila took that hard. She said it was dangerous in that house and she had to get the kids away from there. I tried to talk her out of it. I even thought I succeeded. But then I got her letter giving me custody of Allison if something happened to her.”

“What happened?”

“When I got the letter, I didn’t know. I looked all over for her. Finally, a police friend of mine tracked her down. They found her wandering aimlessly around the city. She couldn’t tell anyone who she was or where she came from. The doctors said she has amnesia.”

Five held Vanya’s other hand, giving her the will to continue.

“You don’t think it’s a coincidence she suddenly forgot everything.”

Mara shook her head and looked Vanya in the eye.

“I think she stormed into that house intending to take all of you with her. Consequences be damned. But something stopped her.”

“Allison. You think Allison rumored her own mother to forget everything. And now that Lila is dying, you think there’s not much point in getting Allison to rumor her ag-“

_I heard a rumor you think you’re ordinary_

Vanya felt like she couldn’t breathe. Everything was shaking. The bowls, the chairs, the cups, the desks. She could see Quentin form her name on his lips. But she couldn’t hear him.

And suddenly she was back in that room again. All alone. In a dark basement with only a deafening silence for company.

She remembered Dad and Mom. And then Allison telling her that she was ordinary.

For years, Vanya believed it. And for years, Reginald Hargreeves didn’t miss the chance to reinforce it.

Why? She needed to snap out of it. She needed Quentin. No. His name is Five. She needed him to tell her that it would be ok. But how to get out of this. What was this? A flashback? A waking nightmare?

Then she heard a heartbeat. She followed the sound until she saw Five’s face. He was holding her hands.

And she noticed she was on the floor with her head leaning on Mara’s chest.

“I’m not a medical doctor. But I think you should lie down a bit.”

“No please! I need to know the rest. What do you know?”

Vanya let Five pull her up. He ushered her on the seat. And she didn’t have the energy to protest. Vanya was tired but strangely enough, not sleepy at all.

Before she realized what she was doing, she was leaning on Five’s shoulder.

Five would have preferred she get more rest and lie down. The shakes have stopped. And he didn’t want Vanya getting even more agitated. He could sense that Mara had more terrible news to bring. In the back of his mind, he knew the deaths of the other mothers were suspicious. But he didn’t want to worry Vanya any further than necessary. So he kept silent about that niggling notion.

“Whatever happens, whatever we find out, it will be ok. Believe it, Vanya.”

He whispered to her. But he didn’t know if she heard him.

“He’s right. No matter how bad things get. You have to believe they could get better. That’s how I’ve survived so far. I wish I could tell you that things will get easier. But I’d be lying. All I can really tell you is that you have to keep going. Once you give up, it’s over. Everyone experiences dark days. But I want you to believe that dark days are temporary. They will pass. No matter what happens, you need to believe that.”

Vanya tried to nod. But she just felt so weary. All this time, it was Allison messing with her head. Was it even Vanya telling herself she was mediocre all this time or was it Allison’s powers? Vanya didn’t know if she could ever look at Allison the same way again.

At the same time, she knew she was being unfair. Allison was four when she rumored both Vanya and Lila. Vanya knew Allison would never even conceive of using her powers that way without Reginald Hargreeves.

Still the resentment was there. 

“You have something more you want to tell us.”

“Had circumstances been different, I wouldn’t spring this up on you. But things are happening fast. And you should know before it’s too late. Silas called you his savior. And he’s from a creepy doomsday cult. I think they have every reason to believe you can bring about the end of the world. That might be why Hargreeves kept your powers a secret. I suspect that he didn’t know how to control it so he found a way to suppress it. Originally, doomsday was supposed to be April 1, 2019. Now, their moving it up to today.”

From the look on Mara’s face, it was clear she was taking it seriously. Five had to question what exactly made her think this cult was any different from end of days conman cults. And that’s when he remembered the convo with Silas. They talked about an Adam and Probabilities.

“There was a mother who kept her child. At the time, she just joined that cult. When she gave birth out of the blue, the cult took that as a sign of the end times. So when that kid started showing seemingly precognitive abilities, he became their seer.”

Five remembered the conversation as well and pointed out that Mara mentioned probabilities.

“Adam can see the past. I don’t know to what extent and how far back. But he uses it to generate probabilities. From a person’s past actions, he has a pretty good idea what that person is likely to do in the future and so forth. So if Adam says the apocalypse can happen today, those cultists will jump through multiple rings of fire to make sure it happens.”

And just as both Vanya and Five were going to ask how, they noticed the lights outside going out.

“Remy? What’s going on?”

Remy, the costumed patron who handed Mara her file, replied: “Looks like a blackout. The generator that kid made for you is doing great so the bar is unaffected. But power is out for the rest of the city. June just radioed in. All phones are out too.”

Mara turned really calm. An eerie calm that brought Vanya’s head up from her perch on Five’s shoulder.

“Kids, the cult just made their first move. Power and communication are down. So it will take time for police to get to where they’re needed. The cult wouldn’t risk attacking my neighborhood because they know I have alternate sources of power and protection. And I think that with the time traveling you guys did, the cultists wouldn’t know where to find you. So they’re doing the next best thing.”

Vanya was having a hard time keeping up. She looked at Five before he answered her silent question.

“They’re going to attack the Academy. Probably using your siblings as bait.”

That was impossible. Her siblings know how to fight. They have powers. And the cultists were just a bunch of ordinary people. Surely they wouldn’t prove a match for extraordinary kids such as her siblings.

————————-

“Dad? Is she one of our birth mothers?”

Luther would never leave Dad. But he did wonder about the woman. No one ever told them they were less than special or less than good. And he felt a little angry that Mara would question the justice and right-ness of the Academy’s mission.

Dad knew what was best. So it only stands to reason that the team should follow what Dad said.

“Well, I like her. I wish she’s my birth mom. Because for an ordinary, she’s pretty badass.”

Klaus was just amused that someone could give Dad a run for his money. And if a custody battle meant no more training or missions, then all the better for him.

“Enough! Not another word about that woman!”

At Reginald’s outburst, all five of them fell in line. It was already second nature for them to stand shoulder to shoulder in a straight line.

“I assure all of you that all that woman wants is more money to fund whatever dissolution she’s living in. As soon as we come to terms, everything will be back to how things should be.”

“But Vanya’s still missing. And it looks like she has another kid with her who’s just like us.”

Klaus turned to Ben’s direction. It wasn’t everyday that Ben would question Dad. 

Ben always liked to please. But that didn’t mean Ben was an idiot. Mara’s words struck a chord. Ben caused most of the fatalities in missions. And Mara simply said what Ben already knew to be true. Ben wasn’t a hero. Heroes shouldn’t go around killing other people. Not when there were non-lethal ways to stop them.

“Number Six, I never expected insubordination from you. I’m disappointed and will assign you punishment-“

But Reginald was cut off when all the lights went out of the manor. All of them were in the spacious living room and didn’t fail to notice lights going out of every window for miles or at least as far as the eye could see.

Pogo seemed to have noticed something near the entrance and went to take a look.

Without much fanfare, several people crashed through the windows and broke through the entrance. One pistol whipped Pogo who lost consciousness before even hitting the floor.

Allison, who was closest to the entrance, was hit in the jaw almost immediately.

By instinct, Ben loosed his monster on the intruders. And while the tentacles dispatched as many as each limb could hold, there were just too many of them.

These intruders showed no fear. When one went down, another took his place. Diego’s knives got several of them but he soon ran out as the knives were firmly imbedded on the fallen intruders. There were so many of them that he thought of them as insects swarming the place. Some of them had even reached the second floor. 

Oh no, Mom!

Diego made a beeline for Mom’s charging station fully intending to save her. But he found himself too late as he was given the choice to surrender or have Mom’s circuits destroyed.

“Stop fighting or your brother dies”

Ben followed the direction of that voice and saw a man pointing a gun at Klaus temple. Luther heard it too.

“Number One! Number Six! Remember your training! Do not negotiate. Fight-“

It seemed to Ben that he saw the bullet hole at the center of Dad’s forehead before he even heard the shot as Dad fell to the floor.


	11. The Cult

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and the Cult finally introduce themselves

It took no time for Mara to drive Quentin and Vanya as near to Hargreeves House as possible. It was just the three of them.

Almost as soon as the blackout settled in, Remy got more radioed messages all over the city. A fire in one area. A collapsed tunnel in another. Still in another area, a riot erupted with people injured. The police had their hands full.

With all of these happening at once, the patrons in Mara’s bar who turned out to be part-time vigilantes had to help out with the other disasters. Same for the people in Mara’s neighborhood.

The cult planned it perfectly. So it really was just the three of them. And there they were. Vanya, Five and Mara in a car parked two blocks away from the house Vanya grew up in.

“You can still change your mind, Vanya. You don’t have to risk your life.”

Five didn’t want her in the midst of fanatical end of world enthusiasts. He didn’t doubt Vanya had the ability to cause an apocalypse. And while he knew that would be the last thing Vanya wanted, she was still coming to terms with her power.

From what Five had seen so far, her powers were too closely tied to her emotions. And the cult had at least five people they could use to get her to do what they wanted.

“I have to do this, Five. I can’t let them hurt my family.”

Every minute of delay made Vanya even more anxious. What if her siblings were already dead before she even reached the house? But she batted that thought aside. 

The cult needed them alive long enough for Vanya to accede to their wishes. How they would convince her to end all life on earth (her siblings included), she didn’t know. Truth be told, she didn’t want to know.

But if what Mara said about the cult and Adam were true, the cult was acting on a high probability of success.

Mara touched her shoulder to get Vanya’s attention.

“Remember what I said. No matter what, you have to believe that everything will be ok. Adam and the cult leader will do everything they can to reach their end goal. But you need to hold on.”

Vanya nodded. And in a rush of affection, she gave the older woman a hug. 

——————  
“Can’t believe this bastard is really dead. I think I’d better shoot him again just to make sure.”

“Sister Lisa, you were given this honor because of your assistance in identifying our savior, Vanya Hargreeves. Please do cease in indulging your hunger for vengeance. There’s really no need to kill the man twice. Once is enough, I assure you.”

The woman who shot Dad moved away reluctantly after a middle aged man who looked to be the leader gave her another warning look. Allison may have been gagged and rendered powerless, but she could still do something. She didn’t know how she could save herself and her brothers yet. But she’d think of something.

Allison couldn’t help but notice the look Lisa gave her and her siblings before Lisa vacated the living room. Lisa hated them. It bothered Allison because of the amount of venom seeping from the woman’s eyes. And Allison could swear she’d never met the woman before.

The cultists made sure to keep the siblings as far away as possible within the confines of the room. 

They got Luther to put on Dad’s enhanced manacles. One set was on his wrist and the other was on his ankles. The cultists had to threaten to kill Allison before he complied.

They employed the same tactic with Diego and Ben. Promising to kill Mom and Klaus if they didn’t submit to being bound.

Allison couldn’t help but wonder how the cultists knew so much about them. That these people would use the people closest to them as leverage showed a disturbing amount of knowledge.

With Dad gone, Pogo unconscious and Mom’s systems disabled, it was just their five-person team left to save everyone.

“Why are you doing this?”

Unlike Allison, Luther wasn’t gagged. Knowing Luther, he was trying to buy some time. Hoping that help would arrive or one of them gets loose from their bonds and sow enough chaos to get all of them away.

Allison wasn’t so hopeful though. Even if one of them got out of these knots, the cultists will simply threaten the ones still held captive.

The man called Great Brother gave Luther a condescending smile. But didn’t bother to answer. Instead, he went out of the living room only to come back a few seconds later with a boy around their age.

The boy had a pleasant looking smile. Had he not been part of the cultists, Allison would even venture to say that his looks were on par with Luther’s. The type of face that said you can talk to him, ask him for help and share your deepest darkest secrets with him.

The strange part was that every one of the cultists made way for him. They looked at him with deference that rivaled or even exceeded Great Brother’s. Some of them even rearranged the furniture to ensure the boy walked a straight, unencumbered line.

The boy made his way to the center of the room where one cultist placed a chair. And after taking his seat, the boy finally spoke with an air of authority that far surpassed Luther’s commanding tone.

“Hello, students of the Umbrella Academy. I’m Adam. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, who are in many ways my brothers and sister. It is a shame we had to meet over our father’s dead body. But that is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.”

Luther’s face hardened. By the way the cultists deferred to him, Luther was sure Adam had a lot to do with the attack on the Academy. Luther raged inside at Adam’s gall to refer to Dad as his father. Adam had no right to call Dad that.

“But I have every right. He’s the closest thing fatherless children such as ourselves have to one. Didn’t you know he caused our births?”

Luther’s face must be an open book because Adam gave a knowing smile.

“Just one of the things Reginald Hargreeves didn’t tell you about.”

“Dad probably didn’t think it was important for us to know.”

“The cause of your birth isn’t important? His brainwashing must be so profound that you’d defend a man who clearly hid many things from you. Would you still defend him if you knew he’d been lying to all of you?”

The irony of a boy from a doomsday cult telling Luther that Dad brainwashed him! Luther would be laughing if he and his siblings weren’t in imminent danger. Adam was clearly troubled. And Luther internally chastised himself for even listening to this boy. Surely, every word coming out of Adam’s mouth was nonsense.

“When you were at Mara’s neighborhood, you felt the tremors. They weren’t ordinary tremors. Someone caused it. On the 1st of October 1989, 43 women suddenly gave birth even though none of them were pregnant when the day started. It wasn’t just the births that were extraordinary. The infants themselves were special. Each and every one were born with powers.”

Luther could tell where Adam was going with this. Adam was one of the babies. And Adam caused the tremors. He believed that this gave him a sort of kinship to the Umbrella Academy.

“Oh Luther, you really should school your expressions better. I don’t need to read minds- Not my power by the way- to know what you’re thinking. Yes, I’m like you. My mother suddenly gave birth to me. But she chose to keep me instead. And no, I didn’t cause the tremors. Don’t you remember? Aside from the Umbrella Academy and myself, there’s another who was born the same way.”

Ben figured it out faster than the others.

“You’re telling us that Vanya has powers. That she can caused the tremors.”

Adam gave an even more condescending smile that Great Brother.

“That’s not all she can do. Why do you think Reginald kept it a secret? Kept reiterating that Vanya was ordinary even though he knew she wasn’t? Luther, you really should take a good look at your authority figures before deciding to blindly follow them. He lied to everyone about Vanya. Made Allison rumor her into thinking she was nobody and made her take those pills to make sure her powers don’t manifest. I can see the past so I know what I’m talking about. Vanya’s powers eclipse all of our abilities combined. She can end the world. And thanks to Reginald Hargreeves, she has no control over it. Which means, the Sacred Fraternity can finally welcome the end times.”

Of all the siblings, Klaus was the least surprised of the revelations. Oh, he didn’t expect his sweet and quiet sister to have powers that could destroy the world. But Dad lying and being an asshole wasn’t anything new. So he was most inclined to believe that Vanya has powers.

For Ben though, he wanted to understand why this was happening.

“Why do you want to end the world?”

It was then that Adam’s face hardened.

“It’s a terrible world filled with terrible people. You think that because I grew up with the Fraternity, it means that all my thoughts came from them. But I’ve seen the history of this world. And it honestly horrifies me. Mankind has never ceased to do heinous things to itself. One would think with all the cautionary tales history provided that humanity would learn its lesson. But each generation simply repeats the mistakes of the one that came before it. It’s madness. And the Fraternity just wants to ensure that the madness ends, once and for all.”

“No! You shouldn’t sacrifice good people for the sake of taking out the bad guys!”

With that, all the cultists in the room laughed at Luther. Allison noticed that Lisa laughed loudest of all.

Lisa laughed as she strode towards Luther. But as soon as Lisa was in front of him, she punched Luther in the face. It barely even fazed Luther. That didn’t stop Lisa from hitting him again and again though.

The other cultists waited a few seconds longer before dragging her away from Luther. By that time, Lisa seemed to calm down. What she said afterwards had every Academy member feel ice in their veins.

“You freaks murdered my boy! And you think you’re good people? You make me sick!”

“We d-d-don’t kill innocents.”

“And that makes it ok to kill people who aren’t? Do you even know which one of the people you killed was my son? No? I had two boys. One of them was dying and the only thing keeping him alive was a drug so expensive that taking three jobs wasn’t enough to pay for it. Because we couldn’t afford it, my older boy joined a crew to rob a bank. But thanks to the Umbrella Academy, the last memory I would ever have of him is his body in pieces. My other boy died soon after. And guess who owned the pharmaceutical company making that drug? It was Hargreeves.”

Luther felt the need to defend their actions.

“The bank robbers were holding hostages. We had no-“

“Don’t you dare tell me you had no choice when she-“ pointing at Allison, “can get people to do what she wants. You didn’t need to kill my son. But you did. For what? And the people there. They were celebrating. My son is dead and they’re happy about it. I wonder if they would be happy if they saw what his body looked like after all of you were done with him. How can the world move on when I can’t?”

Lisa was crying now.

And Ben wanted to disappear off the face of the earth. He didn’t want to join the mission. He didn’t even want to use his powers. But he let Dad and the others pressure him into it. He killed the woman’s son. And Ben didn’t know how he could live with himself should the cultists fail to get what they want.

Diego knew he didn’t have the luxury to break down. He very much wanted to though. But there was Mom and his siblings to consider. Pogo too though he currently didn’t know how to feel about Pogo. There was no way Pogo didn’t know about Vanya and about Reginald’s part in their births.

But so much was happening in a span of minutes. Diego had to prioritize survival first.

And then, the house shook. Not enough to bring it down. But enough to let them know that Vanya was nearby

——————  
Vanya gave Five the longest embrace she ever gave anyone. There was no way she’d let the world end. But then again, she couldn’t control her powers, could she?

She took a deep breath. No. She had to hold on. She had to hold on until midnight. There were still so many things she wanted to do. There were still so many adventures she wanted to have with Five and her siblings.

She had to believe everything will be alright.

Vanya let go of Five.

Five gave her a nod. 

“Don’t worry too much. The devices are powered by something like the Commission’s generator. It will work.”

The look on Five’s face told her he still didn’t like her going to the cultists, part of the plan or not. That made Vanya even more determined for the world to see another tomorrow. So she started walking towards the heavily guarded compound that was once her childhood home.


	12. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Events unfold before the clock strikes twelve

The cultists didn’t bother to hide or move Reginald Hargreeves’ body. Vanya saw it as soon as she stepped into the living room and her heart ached. She didn’t know how she could possibly still care considering all he’d done to her.

But there it was. Despite her resentment and animosity, Vanya still loved her adopted father. Even now, she still cherished the small scraps of approval he gave her. And until meeting Five, the day she received Reginald’s violin was the happiest day of her life.

It seemed to her that ceasing to care about someone wasn’t as easy as shedding clothes. At the moment, Vanya wished she could do that but breaking down and mourning the loss wasn’t going to be much help to anyone.

Vanya needed to keep her wits about her because she entered a den of wolves that want to use her for the destruction of everything. She marveled at how she once wanted to be noticed. To be seen as special and worthy.

Now she had it. But Vanya thought this was probably going to be another anecdote to highlight the adage of being careful what you wished for.

“Welcome back, Vanya. I’m glad to finally meet you. It’s now a quarter to midnight and we are hoping to get down to business before the clock strikes twelve.”

Adam wasn’t hard to identify. Being the only kid in a swarm of cultists definitely made him stand out.

Five or Klaus would have replied with something cheeky and sarcastic. But Vanya was just herself. So she stayed silent and listened. She calmed herself by directing her mind to a pleasant memory: trick or treating and spending time with Five at that lake house.

“You know, there’s no such thing as a happy ending for you. How could there ever be? You were born to end the world. Whatever choice you make, it wouldn’t matter. Because the end will always be the same. Today, you’re happy all things considered. You got to have fun. Finally have a boyfriend. Reginald Hargreeves may be dead but there’s another parental substitute you actually like to take his place. And you found out you had powers all along. But you know nothing lasts. Deep down, you know everyone you ever cared about will leave you. Right now, you still think it’s because you don’t have the talent or personality to keep anyone’s interest. That’s understandable. You just found out about your powers. But what you should realize here is that they’ll leave because they’re afraid of you. Of what the slightest tantrum or loss of control would do to the world. At first, they’d try their best to keep you happy. But they’re just human. Eventually, they will get tired of having to watch what they do or say else you trigger the apocalypse. And then they’d leave.”

Throughout Adam’s monologue, Vanya kept silent. But everyone knew that he was getting to her. Everything in the house was shaking. The stuffed stag head even fell, almost impaling a nearby cultist.

Vanya told herself to shut Adam out. To believe that things will be fine. But it was very hard to think that at the moment. 

It was around that time the cultists turned on the phonograph. Mozart’s Requiem in D minor started playing.

“A fitting last song for those that passed on and those of us who will be joining them. Being able to look into the past means I can peek at Hargreeves notes. He said sound is the fuel for your powers. So here it is. Are you feeling pressure building inside you? I’m sure you’d need to let it out soon.”

Shit! He was right. Vanya could feel the power growing. It wasn’t just the phonograph this time. Now every other sound was adding to the force inside her. Every shake, every breath, even the almost imperceptible tap of a branch on glass. Vanya tried her best to keep it in. She had to hold on.

“We all killed our mothers, you know. For some reason or the other, the women who gave birth to us are now either dead or dying. It must be the price the universe extracted for Reginald’s actions. Extraordinary children were born in a manner that went against the natural order of things. Killing our mothers was nature’s way of balancing the scale.”

Vanya didn’t mean to. But a bit of the power spilled out of her. It caused the other side of the house to collapse. Thankfully, the living room was still standing. But Vanya and her siblings saw the carnage. Some of the cultists were even crushed. 

Instead of mourning the death of their comrades, the surviving cultists started celebrating. How twisted have they become to not even flinch at the sight of such violence?

“Leave her alone!”

In all of Vanya’s life, she had never heard Ben raise his voice until now. Under different circumstances, the sight of her normally gentle brother flushed in anger should have made even adults back away. However, the cultists were already feeling victorious. They were no longer operating on common sense or self preservation, if they ever did. So most of them just ignored Ben.

“Let’s see. Ben’s mom: dead. Klaus’ mom: dead. Diego’s mom- oh, sorry! Diego’s birth mother is also dead. Mara’s still alive and well. But not for long. Allison’s mom: still alive but I bet she wished she was dead. I mean, after what Allison did to her and then to be stuck in a hospital in the final years of her life-“

“Shut up!”

Vanya wanted to kill Adam. And she almost unleashed the full force of her powers on him had she not remembered she could trigger the apocalypse in doing so.

At this very moment, Vanya was in agony. And she was helpless, unable to do anything more than watch as Adam revealed what Allison inadvertently did to her birth mother, under Reginald’s orders.

The look on Allison’s face made Vanya want to crush Adam and the cultists into a million pieces. They were getting off on her pain, wanting Vanya to lose control enough to destroy everything. And then a terrifying thought came to Vanya.

Right now, Adam was using psychological torture to get to her. What happens when the cult moves on to physical torture? Even with the plan she concocted with Five and Mara, Vanya didn’t know if she could reign in her powers enough to prevent total disaster.

Is this really all her powers were for? Because if so, she wanted to be ordinary. Vanya was aware of the irony of that. 

She conjured up thoughts that might calm her and took a deep breath. Vanya willed herself to remember happier times which coincidentally all happened within the span of a few hours. Then, an idea struck her.

She hoped it works.

“I’m honestly impressed you were able to hold your powers in. But you know it won’t last for much longer. You will lose control. Come now, we’re getting impatient! Let it go and end everyone’s suffering.”

It was now or never then. 

“You’re right. I can’t hold it back anymore. But I’m promising you that you’ll regret it.”

Vanya tried to sound as confident as possible. But she was a beginner at this. She had none of Five’s or her siblings’ self assurance. And Adam’s was on par with her siblings’.

“I have every reason to believe I won’t.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Without warning, the ceiling opened up and revealed vines and branches. The first floor was suddenly filled with plants all of which originated from the greenhouse. Some of the cultists were caught so off guard that they were batted aside by plants growing at an alarming rate.

Finally, Adam’s pleasant face was transformed by his rage. He tried to salvage the situation by ordering the cultists to shoot one of Vanya’s siblings.

And as Mara explained to her earlier, that wouldn’t be happening. Five had to travel back a few hours earlier when Reginald and her siblings were looking for her at Mara’s neighborhood to install multiple devices around the house. And once Five gave the signal, Mara had to power them with her remote control. 

This time, all metallic objects less than 5 kilos were plastered to the wall. And on cue, Five appeared to dispatch the cultist guarding Allison.

Once the gag left Allison’s mouth, it was over.

“I heard a rumor all the cultists suddenly fell asleep.”

To Vanya’s surprise, the clock at the mantle was still in one piece. It just struck twelve.


	13. The Generator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Commission makes their move, never expecting the Hargreeves to strike back

When Pogo woke up, he felt that the apocalypse had already come and gone. A whole wing of the mansion was ruined and Reginald was dead. 

Pogo would be the first to admit that his old friend was one of the hardest men to get to know with all the secrets he kept close to his chest. Thus, it was not a surprise that most found Reginald a difficult man to love, even by his own children.

“Long time no see, Pogo. I suppose I have you to thank for Luther keeping his name? Or rather, getting his name back.”

Ms Quinn. She’s matured. No longer the sullen young girl at her wit’s end with what to do with twins. He didn’t even realize she was the woman untying the children until she came up to him.

“I think I already know the answer. But just to make sure, did Hargreeves make any plans on who would be taking over guardianship?”

There was relief in knowing Ms Quinn was as matter-of-fact as ever. And with Sir Reginald gone, someone had to ensure the children’s well-being. 

Pogo could admit to himself that it was never Sir Reginald’s priority. To his eternal regret, Pogo would always carry the weight of going along with Reginald’s decisions.

“No. Sir Reginald had not chosen anyone.”

“Not even you?”

“Not even myself.”

Upon Pogo’s confirmation of her theory, Mara felt a mixture of relief and something along the lines of “I honestly don’t know why I’m disappointed.” What was up with Reginald Hargreeves? Truthfully, she did suspect he didn’t make any provisions for the children upon his death. He struck her as the type who thought he was immune to death. 

Given how long he lived, he might have had a point. But Mara checked his pulse, no sign of life. Or unlife.

“Ok kids! The only home you’ve ever known is kind of a mess right now. I’d like to suggest that all of you come back with me. Pogo, you and Grace are welcome to come.”

With Grace still not fully charged, she was still basically incapacitated. Pogo decided to stay as he didn’t want to leave the manor to any possible scavengers.

Of the children, only Diego wanted to stay. And that was simply because he wanted to be with Grace.

The rest of the children including Luther (who’s always had the dubious honor of being the closest to Reginald) wanted to have a respite from what just happened.

Power and communication was back. And they managed to get a hold of the police. The plan was to wait for the cops to arrive before heading off to Mara’s. All the cultists were sound asleep. But no one wanted to give them a chance to get away. So they used the time to tie the cultists up.

When they finished the job, it was Luther who first spoke up. 

“Vanya, thank you.”

The others followed suit. Many impossible things happened this Halloween night. But each of the active members of the Academy just realized that what they thought as impossible was only just inconceivable to them. 

It never occurred to them that people with no powers could actually overcome them. Or that Vanya, who was never given any hero training, would bravely face down a bunch of cultists and risk herself.

But it only dawned on them now that just because they thought something would never happen doesn’t make it so.

For her part, Vanya felt her heart was full of both joy and sadness. She really didn’t know what to go with. But when she realized that a tear had just run down her cheek, she found that she couldn’t stop bawling.

“Vanya! Why are you crying?”

Five immediately enveloped her in a hug, which she just as easily returned.

“Awww! Vanya has a boyfriend!”

Five didn’t like the tone on Klaus’ voice so he gave Klaus the finger. Five may not know a lot about how society works. But he knew about the finger. Though he made sure to do it literally behind Vanya’s back.

“Who are you anyway?”

Luther decided to take the lead again. And all eyes were directed at Five.

“He’s Number Five. He just got back this Halloween. It’s an early Christmas miracle. And no, Pogo. As I told the police, I didn’t kidnap him.”

The children (except Vanya) finally took a good look at both Five and Mara. And noticed the similar facial features. It made them think of their own birth mothers.

“Is it true? What Adam said about our moms being dead or about to die? That our births caused it? And are you going to be ok?”

Vanya’s heart went out to Ben who looked so lost and vulnerable while asking the question.

“No one really knows what will happen in the future. But as of now, I have a clean bill of health. Yes a lot of the moms are dead or are dying. But You didn’t cause it. Because if so, I’d probably be dead twice over. I had twins. And Adam probably only looked at his own mom and the Six Mothers. Because the others are still alive. Adam can see the past but I think even he wouldn’t be able to handle seeing everything.”

Allison was the first to come near Mara to ask about her birth mother. Allison didn’t bother to ask if she rumored her own mom. She remembered. Allison was only four at the time and didn’t think much of it when Dad told her to make Lila forget everything. He said the woman’s memories were causing her suffering. And she believed him.

She didn’t know what she could do to make up for it. But Allison had to do something. The first thing was to see Lila again. And at Allison’s insistence, Mara eventually promised to accompany her to Lila’s hospital.

Five thought that it was suspicious that four of the six mothers are dead. And the way the mothers died sounded eerily familiar. Accidents or illnesses weren’t his modus operandi. But there’s plenty of agents in the Corrections Department who would be more than capable. 

At first, he didn’t get why. But then he remembered all he knew about the Apocalypse of 2019. Five had heard whispers about it but was never told the cause. 

But now he knew. On the 1st of April 2019, Vanya would end the world. Given how this was the first time her siblings acknowledged her worth (those idiots), he could pretty much guess that if he and Vanya never met, if Vanya didn’t forget her pills, if the cultists didn’t decide to jumpstart the apocalypse early. Then, Vanya left in the Academy would remain despondent and alone. Vanya would have grown up thinking she was nothing compared to her extraordinary siblings. Someone simply stealing her pills would have Vanya discovering her powers and the lies she was fed all her life. Being unable to process the emotions that the meds held back or control the powers Reginald suppressed all her life would be the perfect recipe for the end of the world.

The mothers were killed to prevent them from joining forces to sue for custody. And it wouldn’t do for Vanya to learn someone cared enough to want her back. Reginald could easily defeat one in court but all of them might stand a chance. Mara was probably left alive either because she has a role in the Commission’s endgame or because Mara was the one least likely to be granted custody.

Based on the Handler taking notice of her, Five was willing to bet Mara had committed murder or serious bodily harm. He didn’t know much about custody battles but probably having a criminal record and sordid dealings (a vigilante bar and access to what could be black market tech might count as sordid regardless of her intentions) would probably not help Mara’s case.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed all metallic objects on the wall suddenly fell to the floor. Tell tale red dots were now displayed on everyone’s (except for him and Vanya) heads.

And in case they were in doubt of the implications, someone decided to shoot Adam on the head.

Vanya heard the radio turn itself on and dreaded the voice coming out from it.

“Quentin, you are ordered to surrender. If not, these people will die. Jump to the following coordinates in the next 60 seconds or we will start shooting. You know we’re too far to hear a rumor. And you can’t save them all, no matter what jump you use.”

Vanya could see frustration from Five’s eyes as he heard where the new strike team wanted him to go. But it didn’t take long for determination to take its place. And she just knew that he’d chosen to give himself up. If only she could use her powers without hurting innocent bystanders! 

If this were a story, Vanya would have found it amusing. The irony of still feeling powerless even with abilities that seemed limitless.

She held him tighter, willing Five not to go, willing for an idea to come to her where she could save everyone.

Of course, none of that happened.

Five wasn’t afraid. He knew what he had to do. Aside from Vanya, he didn’t really know Luther and the others well enough to say he’d be torn up about their deaths. But he cared about Vanya’s well-being. She loved her siblings. She would never be the same if she lost any of them.

And that was the only fear Five truly ever had in his heart. 

Vanya only just met him. Even if they never see each other again, at least she would have her family to be there for her.

Five tried to believe that. There wasn’t much choice if he wanted everyone else to survive.

“Five, no!”

Five regretted that he caused her pain just as much as his heart felt full at the thought he mattered to someone. Before Vanya realized it, Five kissed her for as long as the time constraint would allow before disappearing before her eyes.

And just like that, the red dots disappeared and the radio turned itself off.

————————

“Welcome back, Quentin.” 

For as long as he’d known her, Five never noticed any change in The Handler. He wasn’t just talking about her physical appearance. It was her demeanor and her belief in the Commission ideology.

There was no point reasoning with a fanatic. So Five didn’t bother trying.

“Last I heard, the Commission wanted me dead. Why am I still alive?”

The Handler gave her enigmatic smile before asking for his time travel calculations, to which Five flatly refused. The Commission can make its own calculations and figure it out themselves. But with the number of idiots running this place, he was pretty confident that would never happen.

“You’d rather die. Is that it? What if your research could be the only thing to prove that you are worth keeping alive?”

Five was confused. He thought the equations were the reason this shitty organization wanted him dead in the first place. And he told her so.

But the Handler’s reply surprised him. The higher ups wanted him dead because of his influence on Vanya. But upon his successful time jump without the suitcase, they changed their minds. If there were alternate ways to travel, they had to know about it and find a way to control it. If not, they at least needed a way to recognize it and ensure the findings were quashed if it turns up again at any point in time. 

As he had thought, they needed Vanya kept low to achieve the end of the world. That the Commission could only rise from the ashes of the apocalypse was simply a “fortunate accident,” according to the Handler.

As far as the Commission was concerned, they were integral to the universe. Thus, the organization’s existence was to be safeguarded at all costs. It was bullshit as far as Five was concerned.

Even if the Commission was sincere about keeping him alive to perfect his equations, Five had no intention of being part of their clearly slipping attempt to maintain a hegemony on time.

Every death and disaster the Commission caused (including the ones he did in its service) was futile. Innocent lives including Vanya’s mother lost just to keep hold of a power that was never truly the Commission’s in the first place.

Five wished he could have had a chance to destroy the Generator and render the Commission powerless. Time travel took a lot of energy however and the Commission knew it. Which was why they bided their time until the opportune moment to take him.

Five supposed he’ll have to settle for giving them a big “fuck you” by declining a second time. 

The Handler sighed and gave the order to execute him.

Right in the nick of time, he heard the PA system start its message with: “I heard a rumor…”

————————

Mara scared Vanya’s siblings with the speed of her driving. Vanya herself didn’t mind. She was only concerned with saving Five as soon as possible.

She was disappointed however to find Mara’s captives (the unsuccessful strike team she met) dead. It looked like the Commission got to them before Allison could even rumor them.

Mara explained that it looked like the Commission originally wanted to get them out. But thought better of it once they couldn’t unlock or break down the bars in time.

Allison’s apologetic look took Vanya almost at the brink of despair until she realized there was another way to get information.

“Klaus, could you conjure them?”

For the first time, Klaus felt unsure.

“I could but I can’t compel them like Allison can. And Allison’s powers don’t work on dead people.”

Five’s life was on the line. So Vanya did not let this obstacle stop her.

“What if I amplify your powers? Maybe what you need if the energy to realize your power’s full potential?”

Klaus looked dubious.

“Please Klaus? Could we try?”

At the desperate look on Vanya’s face, Klaus agreed.

To everyone’s surprise (even Vanya’s), the deceased strike team captain figuratively sung like a bird. Giving them everything they need to know about where their suitcase was hidden, the layout of The Commission headquarters and its security protocol.

While waiting for Remy to deliver the suitcase, Mara and Vanya made plans. Or at least tried to until they noticed her siblings’ reluctance.

“What’s wrong?”

Mara asked though she already knew.

“We want to help and we want to save Number Five. He risked his life to save us too. But what if we’re just a liability? Before, we at least had Dad to tell us what to do and make us believe that we’ll win as long as we follow the plan. But now, we’re not so sure.”

Vanya looked at each of her siblings and saw the same uncertainty in their eyes. It occurred to Vanya that this would be the first mission they’d be doing without Dad. And having just been freed from cultist captivity couldn’t have been good for team morale. 

The Umbrella Academy was at its lowest point and it couldn’t have happened at the worst time.

Vanya struggled to find something to say that could bring her siblings out of their insecurity. But she truly didn’t know.

“Look! I know you kids just got your asses kicked. And it left you wondering if you still have it in you to make a difference and win. But here’s a newsflash. In whatever you decide to do, there will always be a chance you’ll fail. To acknowledge that isn’t a bad thing. That’s just being realistic. Maybe Hargreeves made you believe that being a hero means always beating the bad guys and saving the innocent. And that only following him would ensure success. But that isn’t true. He doesn’t know everything. Life tends to throw us a curveballs simply because there’s no way for us to know or control everything that happens. But we still have to live with it anyway. You think firemen deal with burning buildings thinking what they’ll be having for breakfast the next day? No! In the back of their minds, they know that this job could be their last. That they may not see their little girls ever again after this. But they still do their jobs anyway simply because it’s the right thing to do. Being a hero is a tough job. But someone’s gotta do it. Because if there’s anything I ever agreed with Hargreeves on, it’s that this world needs more heroes. I won’t force any of you to do what you don’t want to do. People have no right to think less of you for saying no to danger. Remy knows what I want to happen if I die. So you guys don’t have to worry. I won’t let you guys be subjected to the country’s foster system. And you will not be left to fend for yourselves on the streets. I’ll give you guys until Remy comes with the suitcase to decide. Just be sure that what you choose won’t make you think less of yourselves at the end of the day.”

By the time Remy arrived, they’d already set up a plan. From Vanya’s perspective, Numbers Two, Three, Four and Six gave pretty good inputs during the planning stage. She didn’t doubt that they’ve always had them but only had the chance to come out now that Reginald Hargreeves wasn’t there to shoot their ideas down.

After hearing about Lisa’s son, Allison and Ben were especially adamant about minimizing casualties. Hence, they decided to use the Commission’s PA system to broadcast Allison’s rumor to as many as possible.

They still had to find Five. The Strike Team Leader said that the Commission heads just changed their minds. They wanted Five alive for something. The best way to get info on his whereabouts and of what the heads want would be from the Handler’s office. 

The Headquarters was still heavily staffed. So it was always possible that not everyone would hear Allison’s rumor. Klaus suggested to have Allison’s rumor recorded and played on a loop.

Those making their way to the Handler’s office would need to have a recording with them. Diego wanted everyone to have a weapon in case the recording failed. Because after everything that happened, they weren’t inclined to believe in foolproof plans.

Which was why Vanya clutched her violin case. She was going to bring it with her. She was currently the equivalent of an atom bomb in terms of raw power. But just in case it wasn’t enough. She’d at least need a way to get more.

———————————  
“I heard a rumor everyone currently employed by or managing the Commission went back to when they came from and forgot all about the Commission.”

With that, everyone within hearing range of the speakers filed towards the Suitcase storage room. This included the Handler, who now had a dazed look on her face. 

Fortunately, Five managed to filch the keys to his manacles before his captor left his vicinity. He had just gotten out of said manacles when he heard gunshots.

Before he could do anything, the shots stopped. 

It was then followed by a golf cart crashing through the door. He was not surprised to find Klaus driving. Ben rode shotgun. And at the backseat was Vanya.

She immediately alighted and embraced him.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Five! I thought I might never see you again!”

Five returned her embrace and apologized for putting her through this. To which Vanya replied that he didn’t need to say sorry.

“Guys we need to go! The others are at the PA center. They won’t leave until we get back. And some of those gas mask mooks put earplugs or something to tune Allison out. So they’re under seige- AND WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?”

Five turned to the direction Klaus indicated to find what looked like a tentacle monster. A really huge tentacle monster. He’d heard that the Commission HQ was located in a place outside of time, all the better for the Generator to power all suitcases located anywhere in and out of time. Even Five didn’t fully understand yet. But it looked like the place outside of time was an Eldritch dimension.

The tentacle monster was ready to unleash its fury when Ben decided to unleash his own monsters.

Contrary to expectations, there was no Godzilla-like battle. Klaus even thought he might actually be high when he saw one of Ben’s tentacles touch one of the Eldritch monster’s. Making it look like a monster rendition of Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam.”

Klaus heard something that no human or any known animal was capable of producing. And just as suddenly as it appeared, the monster was gone. Hopefully never to return.

“Did anyone hear what it said?”

Ben was frankly surprised things ended peacefully with his powers. After the touch, his would be opponent said something it would take him time to decipher.

“Ben, don’t tell me you understood that?”

“I think it said ‘Go Green or Scream’.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Five didn’t bother thinking about it. After Vanya amplified his powers, he took all four of them to the PA center.

Mara wanted everyone to leave ASAP. But Five had other ideas. Having learned that most of the Commission employees took suitcases to get back to their time period, he couldn’t risk the suitcase abilities being discovered. 

The only way to nullify them was to destroy the Generator, which was built to theoretically withstand at least 10 nuclear bombs. He and Vanya had to stay and finish this. Or else they risk someone unscrupulous finding their way back here and manipulating time just like the Commission did.

He honestly didn’t want to risk her life. But she was the only one who can do this. It would be a bad idea to have those suitcases lying around for anyone to use or in the Handler’s case reuse.

It was dangerous and no one wanted to leave Five and Vanya behind. But reason eventually won out. They had to use the suitcase to get back before the Generator was destroyed. And with the amount of power needed to destroy it, the best chance for all of them to get back home was to have Vanya be the only one Five had to “carry” with his power.

Vanya hugged each of her siblings. They made her promise to come back no matter what. And Vanya honestly hoped she could keep it.

Mara actually kissed Five’s forehead. And Vanya didn’t know which was more shocking. That Mara initiated. Or that Five let her.

A flash of light and Vanya and Five’s family were back home safe and sound. Waiting and hoping to see Vanya and Five soon.

———————————

Five teleported them to a hilltop overlooking the whole compound. He didn’t need to tell her what to do.

Vanya took out her violin and played what she hoped would simply be the first solo she would perform to an adoring audience.

As she reached a crescendo, Vanya found herself so lost in the music that almost everything faded away from her perception. She barely registered how her clothes and even her violin turned white.

At one point, she even forgot her name until she heard someone call out.

“Vanya!”

Five was there. And she remembered again. She gave him a nod to tell him to get ready. And then she released everything she had onto the compound below. Vanya thought she felt rather than saw the explosion.

As Five transported them from that place away from time, she felt it again. Not the explosion. But the urge to kiss Five. She would have done just that if Five hadn’t beaten her to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter until the end! Thank you everyone for coming this far with me!


	14. Blue Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue and a promise kept

Five and Vanya got back to Mara’s bar in one piece. But as far as Mara was concerned, Vanya’s first aid kit wouldn’t be enough to treat their injuries. 

Five and Vanya jumped back only a few minutes after everyone used the suitcase to get to the Commission. And only a few seconds after the others returned via suitcase.

They drove back to Hargreeves Manor. It was the last place any of them wanted to go. But at least it was the only place they could get immediate care. Unfortunately, all the other hospitals were crowded with injured people due to the mayhem the cultists caused.

Grace greeted them with her cheery smile and wasted no time examining and patching them up.

Vanya leaned her head on Five’s shoulder. She was exhausted. And feeling sleepy. But she had to know what happens next after this.

“I guess you kids will be stuck with me for now. I’ll have to get my lawyers on it. But hopefully we can get this matter settled soon.”

Mara urged everyone to take a rest. If it were up to her, she’d be taking them back to her home as soon as their wounds were stitched up. But she noticed that most of the kids were already struggling to stay awake.

So for what was the first time in her life (and with Grace’s help), Mara tucked the kids in. It just goes to show how much saving the world and time itself could take a toll. Because even Five didn’t put up a fight.

By the next day, Mara took them shopping at IKEA

——————

Mara lived in a penthouse. But every one who saw it for the first time were more than a little underwhelmed. 

The penthouse was spacious but looked barely lived in. One could even say the design was spartan, to put it mildly or if one were to try to describe it.

One look and Vanya knew that Mara didn’t spend much time there. It was too lonely. Whatever sparse furniture was there looked barely used.

“Why don’t you buy more furniture?”

Allison had never seen anything like this penthouse before. When Dad took them to places like this, it was filled with luxury items and amenities. Mara’s place didn’t look like a place to entertain guests.

“That’s why we went to IKEA.”

“I mean, ready made furniture.”

“And deprive you kids of a character building experience? Nope. While I go handle some legal stuff, you guys set up the dining table and chairs. Here’s the instruction manual and there’s some tools you might need.”

To which Mara received a chorus of groans. 

“Guys, think of this as a team building experience. Five, do not try to teleport out of here. You barely survived on your own last Halloween without Vanya and the others. It’s time for you to learn how to work with others. Look at Vanya, she’s already studying the manual. As for the rest of you, you need to learn not to lean on your powers. We only have 5 years before all of you turn 18. And I’ve made it my mission to make sure you can stand on your own two feet by that time. And before you say anything else, Five, I mean being able to live as a part of society.”

With that, she left them alone for about two hours. And came back to find varying levels of success on the dining set.

——————————-  
In a lot of ways, having Mara as a parent was harder and easier on the children. She allowed them to wear whatever they wanted and gave a lot more time for play. 

On the other hand, they were expected to do chores. Grace came to stay with them as soon as a proper room/charging station was set up for her. But Mara made it clear Grace was only there to teach and not to do any of the housework.

When Klaus started to test this rule, he found himself spending a good chunk of playtime at the nearest old folks home to read for some of the residents. At first, Klaus didn’t want to go because of the deceased residents. But he was willing to compromise when Five and Vanya agreed to go with him.

Vanya was really only there to give Klaus some moral support. Five heard about a chess grandmaster staying at the home and wanted to pit his skills against him.

It didn’t take long for all three to be a sensation in the home. Five hadn’t beaten the grandmaster yet. But those watching the game (and there were many of those) thought he was giving the old chess master a run for his money.

It was in the home where Vanya performed for an audience that didn’t consist of Five or anyone she considered family. She closed her eyes and played until the end of the song. And before she knew it, she heard a big round of applause.

Unsurprisingly, Klaus was the one who actually made friends with most of the residents. According to him, there really were ghosts still around. But after his first day in the home, Klaus discovered that some of the living residents can see them too. Soon after, Klaus visited the home on his own volition.

When one of his friends, Ms Fleming, passed away, everyone in the penthouse attended the funeral. Vanya saw a lot of tears shed that day. But Klaus had none.

And then Vanya realized.

“Are you ok? Do you want to go home now? I know you don’t like cemeteries.”

Klaus smiled. A genuine one.

“I’m ok. There’s no need. Ms Fleming kicked a lot of ghost asses so most of them don’t bother me anymore. Besides, she wanted me to stay until the end of the funeral. Else she kick my ass too.”

———————-

All 7 of them were not deemed ready to start school yet though they did get private classes. Mara made it a goal to enroll them by the next school year.

In the mean time, they were also required to go to therapy as well as discipline and anger management classes. This meant more therapy, yoga, zen meditation, self defense and martial arts classes (the sensei of which required them to get up at six in the morning to clean the dojo).

Five was unimpressed until the sensei had him on his back. The others knew Five was a successful assassin. But without using his powers or weapons, he wasn’t a match for the sensei’s years of unrelenting training.

With all of them having powers, it was essential that they learn not to use it when provoked by peers and/or non-powered individuals. Hence it wasn’t surprising that Vanya and Ben would be the most willing to give it a try.

Five had a lot of uncomplimentary things to say about meditation. But later (a lot later) stopped. Ben’s monsters weren’t as rowdy after meditation. And Vanya felt more in control after spending at least 30 minutes a day at a quiet place.

—————————-

As promised, Mara took Allison to see her birth mother. As expected, Lila hadn’t the faintest clue who Allison was though having Mara introduce her immediately got Lila to give Allison a warm smile.

The doctors say it wasn’t long now until the end. Allison wanted to undo whatever damage she caused. But there was no way to cancel her rumor. Lila was told never to recall her memories. And so all Allison could do was to visit her every chance she got.

When the hospital called late one night, everyone huddled in the car as Mara drove like a devil again. It was still too late when they reached the hospital.

Thankfully, they had Klaus, who relayed Lila’s parting words to Allison. The rumor doesn’t affect the dead. And so she knew Lila remembered when she passed her message of her love and a final goodbye.

Allison wished she had more time. And that was all she thought about for a week. After that, Mara dragged her out of bed and told her she needed some retail therapy.

Unlike the normal usage of the term, Mara employed it to mean that Allison would be working part-time (for free) at a clothing store as a retail assistant. Mara insisted that Allison will only be paid per commission basis. Apparently, the owner was intimidated by Mara into agreeing.

It went without saying that Allison won’t be using her powers. Just to be sure, the chicken dance song played non stop during her 3-hour shift.

The first week was horrible. Standing for hours and having to deal with a bunch of obnoxious customers was energy-sapping. But when she finally sold her first item, Allison felt like she could do anything. 

——————————-

Not long after moving into Mara’s home, Diego and Luther asked which room they could use for fun and games. Mara looked incredulously at them and directed their attention to the park across the street. 

Six pairs of eyes looked at her in surprise. To which, Mara explained they were free to explore the park and make friends. The local paintball team was there. And she was sure they’d like the challenge of a match against the Umbrella Academy.

With six of seven children still standing in the living room (Klaus was actually geared to go), Mara realized they were too shy to even introduce themselves.

So she found herself trudging along the park with seven children in tow. Number Five wasn’t actually interested in making new friends. But he was dragged along by Vanya’s insistence.

In the end, the local team agreed to play against the Academy (plus Five and minus Vanya who wasn’t interested in paintball). Vanya’s siblings and Five may have been low on the sociability scale. But their confidence in firearms (or pretend firearms) were pretty high even without the use of their powers.

Sad to say that their side lost. 

Before it came time to shake hands, Mara had to remind the two hotheads (Diego and Five) to be a good sport and take the loss as a learning experience. Five calmed down as soon as Vanya came up to him to check if he was ok.

But Diego was still seething until the opposing team captain took of his helmet to reveal a girl not much older than him.

“You guys were great out there. Let’s do this again! I’m Eudora,” the girl remarked as she approached Diego to shake his hand.

Diego didn’t know what hit him. But it felt like lightning

—————————————-

Being the child closest to Reginald, Luther naturally wanted to continue being a superhero. Unfortunately, none of his siblings wanted to do it anymore no matter what he did or said.

He tried joining the vigilantes in Mara’s bar but was refused. According to them, he needed to enjoy being a kid. He can come back when he was older.

By the time he went to Mara for advice, he was at his wits’ end. He fully expected her to criticize him like Dad did for not acting like a proper leader and figuring things out on his own. But what was he to do when he’d tried everything he could think of and all failed?

Mara listened patiently. And was silent for a few minutes.

“Leading isn’t just giving out orders and expecting people to follow just because you tell them to. Honestly, I think you need to train your leadership skills and I know just the thing.”

At the mention of training, Luther was of course happy to do it.

Had he known “training” actually entailed babysitting a rambunctious bunch of seven-year old triplets, he probably wouldn’t have agreed.

The first time was an absolute disaster. The parents came home to a messy house with none of the kids bathed or ready for bed. 

Not one to back down from a challenge, Luther prepared for the next time he’d be babysitting the three terrors. He had other babysitting gigs. Though this time, Diego or Allison accompanied him (for a share of his earnings, of course).

The first few times, it was clear that Diego and Allison had a better way with the kids than he did. So Luther let them take the lead. And to his surprise, he actually learned a lot from them.

The triplets’ parents let him babysit again. Apparently, only Luther was willing to take them on again. And while Luther couldn’t remember being terrified out of his mind until now, he did come prepared. He pretty much remembered what the triplets like to eat, play and watch (all the better to bribe them with). He also remembered all their stalling and diversion tactics (which he won’t fall for again)

And he also brought Diego and Allison as backup.

————————-

Ben was never really the same since storming The Commission headquarters. For one thing, he seemed to be able to communicate with animals. Not that he could hear them talk. But just that he had a general sense of what was going on with said animal and what it wanted to do.

It lead Ben to spending more and more time outdoors until he eventually took up outdoor activities from soccer to birdwatching.

His almost daily sojourns to the park eventually led him to want to study more about nature and from there wish to help conserve the environment.

Vanya and Five would sometimes accompany him on his walks. And it never failed to amaze Vanya that a random bird would suddenly perch on Ben’s shoulder. Klaus joked that Ben was a Disney princess now. But Ben was too good natured to take it the wrong way, especially when it came from Klaus.

Ben had always seemed to be the most introverted of her siblings. So it made her happy to see Ben coming out of his shell. Recently, he was involved in a tree planting activity. And when he got home, the look on his face was the most lively she’d seen in her life.

She supposed this was how he interpreted the tentacle monster’s cryptic words. Vanya supposed that inspiration can come from the most unlikely of places.

——————————

Years passed and Vanya graduated from the conservatory. In no time, she successfully auditioned as third chair in the country’s most prestigious orchestra. And it didn’t take her long to rise through the ranks.

She and Five were in regular contact though he’d been busy the past few months. For the longest time, he’d been obsessed with time traveling alone. When she first heard it, Vanya begged him to be careful. She was worried he’d be stuck somewhere in time and have no means to get back.

For Five, time traveling was a skill like playing the violin. He wanted to hone his skills. And being able to do it himself was simply one of the stepping stones. Besides, he made a promise that he had yet to make good on.

It wasn’t much of a shock when Vanya received word that Five disappeared. She couldn’t sleep for two straight days.

A message arrived soon after.

_We had a deal on Halloween night. I’ll be back. -5_

Five was going to get it when he came home. But she believed him. If only because there wasn’t any other choice for her but that.

So she practiced day and night until the night of her debut solo as first chair. Everyone she wanted to be there was in attendance.

Except Five.

She kept an eye on Five’s seat. But throughout her performance, she didn’t even as much as imagine the shadow of him.

It broke her heart. But Vanya was a professional. She’d practice this piece until she could swear she could play it in her sleep. By the time she was done, the theater was filled with an overwhelming sound of applause.

When it was over, she claimed that she wasn’t feeling well to get out of the orchestra’s celebratory after party. Knowing better than to go against her wishes, her siblings decided to give her some space. But each agreed to check up on her in the morning.

Vanya went up to her apartment with a heavy heart. She decided to cry for a few minutes and then figure out a way to find Five. She trusted him to get back soon. But he was still somewhere at sometime. So it looked like it was up to her to get him back.

Her thoughts were then interrupted when the lamplight turned on as soon as she opened her front door. Five immediately stood up from the armchair he was perched on.

And to Vanya’s wonder, he held a bouquet of blue roses. Not white roses dyed blue. But actual blue roses. She knew Five wouldn’t trouble himself to get imitations.

Vanya was still angry at him though.

“I’m sorry. I promise never to leave you without a goodbye. Never again. I wanted to give this to you before the show. But I was already at my limit so I couldn’t jump a few hours back.”

The sorrowful look on his face made her forgive him. She gingerly took the roses when something dropped from the bouquet. 

Before she knew it, Five dropped down to grab it and switched to kneeling on one knee.

He held a ring in his hand.

And Vanya smiled.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for following this story until the end.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! Please know that this work wouldn’t have been possible without your kind words if support!
> 
> So thanks again!


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